Does your child have to write a Diamante poem and doesn’t how to start? Perhaps you’d like to write one yourself? You might be asking, “What is a Diamante poem and how do you write one?” In this article, I’ll answer this question, give you an example, and tell you how to write one in seven easy steps. Follow these and you or your child will have successfully written a Diamante poem.
What is a Diamante poem?
A Diamante poem is a short and compact poem consisting of 7 lines and is in the shape of a diamond. It has two subjects, usually opposites, and has a set structure as shown below:
Line 1: Subject 1 – a noun
Line 2: Two adjectives (describing words about Subject 1)
Line 3: Two verbs ending with “-ing” which apply to Subject 1
Line 4: Two nouns related to Subject 1 and two nouns related to Subject 2
Line 5: Two verbs ending with “-ing” which apply to Subject 2
Line 6: Two adjectives (describing words about Subject 2)
Line 7: Subject 2 – a noun (opposite of Subject 1)
Here is an example of a simple Diamante poem. Note that each line begins with a capital letter and that commas are used within the lines but not at the ends of lines
Day
Busy, bright
Eating, working, playing
Action, routines, recovery, rest
Relaxing, unwinding, sleeping
Peaceful, dark
Night
How to write a Diamante poem in 7 easy steps
- Step 1: Choose two nouns which are opposites or different, e. g. boys / girls; father / mother; Summer / Winter; sunshine / rain; smile / frown; dog / cat; sun / moon; morning / evening. Write the first one on Line 1 and the second one on Line 7
- Step 2: Choose two adjectives (describing words) for the noun on Line 1 and write these on Line 2
Step 3: Choose three verbs ending with “-ing” and related to the noun on Line1. Write these on Line 3 - Step 4: Choose two nouns which are related to the noun on Line 1 and write them on Line 4 followed by two nouns related to the noun on Line 7. Separate the four nouns with commas.
- Step 5: Choose three verbs ending with “-ing” and related to the noun on Line7. Write these on Line 5
- Step 6: Choose two adjectives (describing words) for the noun on Line 7 and write these on Line 6
- Step 7: Type your poem with central alignment and your poem should be in a diamond-like shape, or, draw a large diamond shape and hand-write your poem within it.
Apply these 7 steps and you or your child will be writing dazzling Diamantes in no time.
What is your biggest challenge in writing poetry or helping your child write a poem? Let me know in the comment box below.