The Diamante or Diamond Poem

[Tinker]

Explore the Craft of Writing Poetry
Invented Forms

The Diamante or Diamond Poem is a contrast verse form commonly taught in middlegrade classrooms, it can also be found all over the internet in poetry communities such as Shadow Poetry and Poetry Base. It uses the parts of speech as a foundation and in that regard is similar to the Recipe Poem. For the more seasoned poet it can serve as a starting point to inspire other works.

The verse is written from the outside in. The first and last lines are nouns that are opposites or antonyms. The interior of the poem expands on the two nouns and at the center joins them in shared likeness.

The elements of the Diamante or Diamond Poem are:

1. a heptastich, (7 lines).
2. often a shape poem, the poem when centered on the page creates the outline of a diamond.
3. unmetered. The measure of the line is the words used.
   L1 - a noun which is the opposite of the noun used in L7
   L2 - 2 adjectives that describe L1
   L3 - 3 verbs (present participle) that describe what L1 does
   L4 - 4 nouns that are related to both L1 and L7 or nouns that both have in common
   L5 - 3 verbs (present participle) that describe what L7 does
   L6 - 2 adjectives that describe L7
   L7 - a noun which is the opposite (antonym) of the noun used in L1

    

   elements                          brook clear, cool   traveling, bubbling, cleansing  earth, cosmos, biosphere, nature weighing, resisting, unmoving ancient, hard stone                  ~~ jvg

   Fire and Ice      Hot fiery, red burns, scalds, hurts     men, women, lovers, friends shudder, shiver, shake silent, alone cold.                              --Tony Veenpere

    

    

   Instant Poetry Forms for Kids

[Tinker]

bump