A diamante is a seven line poem. Rules of composition vary, but it is most often structured so that the poem can be printed centre-aligned, which results in the diamond shape that gives the style its name.
Syllabic structure is a common form of diamante, with each line's syllable count defining the poem's structure. The common syllable pattern is 2, 4, 6, 8, 6, 4, 2.
Stylized forms of diamante use content rules for each line to create a pattern, similar to a Cinquain. Word counts on the line giving the diamante its distinctive shape. A common and particularly rewarding set of rules:
a = 1 noun (an antonym to line g),
b = 2 adjectives (to describe line a),
c = 3 verbs, often with an -ing suffix (describing line a),
d = 4 nouns (common to both a and g),
e = 3 verbs, often with an -ing suffix (describing line g),
f = 2 adjectives (to describe line g),
g = 1 noun (antonym to line a)
Here is a basic1 example of this type:
Klaproth
harsh, spiteful
eating, deleting, destroying
day logs, dream logs, factual nodes, fiction
praising, encouraging, rewarding
intelligent, wise
Eddie
Pipe links, viewed orthogonally, may offer the change to extend the diamante on E2 into a third dimension. I'd love to see someone extend the diamante using this approach.
- I'm no poet, but at least this way it's original material.