How to Write a Diamante Poem

A diamante poem is a poem made of seven lines of words that are arranged in a special diamond-like form. The word diamante is pronounced DEE - UH - MAHN - TAY; it is an Italian word meaning â€Å"diamond.† This type of poem does not contain rhyming words. There are two basic types of diamante poems: an antonym diamante and a synonym diamante.   Antonym Diamante Poem The first step to writing an antonym diamante poem is to think of two nouns that have opposite meanings. Because a diamante poem is diamond-like in form, it must begin and end with single words that form the top and bottom. In the antonym form, those words will have the opposite meaning. Your job as a writer is to transition from the first noun to the opposite noun in your descriptive words. Synonym Diamante Poem The synonym diamante takes the same form as the antonym diamante, but the first and last words should have the same or similar meaning. Diamante Poems Follow a Specific Formula Line one: NounLine two: Two adjectives that describe the noun in line oneLine three: Three verbs that end with â€Å"ing† and describe the noun in line oneLine four: Four nouns—the first two must relate to the noun in line one and the second two will relate to the noun in line sevenLine five: Three verbs that end with â€Å"ing and describe the noun in line sevenLine six: Two adjectives that describe the noun in line sevenLine seven: Noun that is opposite in meaning to line one (antonym diamante) or the same in meaning (synonym diamante) as the noun in line one The first line of this poem will contain a noun (person, place, or thing) that represents the main topic of your poem. As an example, we will use the noun â€Å"smile.† Two words that describe a smile are happy and warm. Those words will form the second line in this example.   Three verbs that end with â€Å"-ing† and describe a smile are: welcoming, inspiring, and soothing. The center line of the diamante poem is the â€Å"transition† line. It will contain two words (the first two) that relate to the noun in line one and two words (the second two) that relate to the noun that you will write in line seven. Again, the noun in line seven will be the opposite of the noun in line one.   Line five will be similar to line three: it will contain three verbs ending in â€Å"-ing† that describe the noun you will put at the end of your poem. In this example, the final noun is â€Å"frown,† because it is the opposite of â€Å"smile.† The words in our example poem are disturbing, deterring, depressing. Line six is similar to line two, and it will contain two adjectives that describe â€Å"frown.† In this example, our words are sad and unwelcome. Line seven contains the word that represents the opposite of our subject. In this example, the opposite word is â€Å"frown.† For Inspiration: Antonym Pairs   Mountain and valleyQuestion and answerCurve and lineCourage and cowardiceHero and cowardHunger and thirstKing and queenPeace and warSun and moonBlack and whiteFire and waterFriend and foe For Inspiration: Synonym Pairs Heat and warmthNoise and soundSnake and serpentFear and frightEmployer and bossHappiness and joyGloom and despairSorrow and sadnessBlanket and coverletStory and taleLaugh and giggleCoat and jacketClock and timepieceTest and exam