I Name You Diamond -- A Love Poem

I Name you Diamond

Hard and rigid

You stand

Against fire and wind

Immovable

A rock among men.

I name you diamond

Clear and brilliant

Your face

Reflecting the sun

Pure and sure

Lightness shines through.

I name you Diamond

Gem of gems

You compete

With no one.

Rare and unfound

A miner's delight.

But ...

When I am near you

Your brilliance explodes, and

I am blinded

With love

And pierced

With longing.

I am cut down

To nothing

And wait.

Come hold me

In your strength

And dance with me

Through the caves

Of our universe.

Lover As Inanimate Objects

Comparing a lover to an inanimate object is nothing new. Men have been doing this for years. Some may argue that doing so is a great compliment to the loved one. Others may argue that comparing a man or woman to an "thing" objectifies them, and is harmful to the loved one.

This poem compares a lover to a diamond. Shakespeare compared a woman's beauty to a rose whose beauty would eventually fade in "Sonnet 54." Edmund Muller, a writer from this same period, also compares his prospective lover to a rose in the poem, "Song." Giving a compliment to the woman was often meant as a way to coax her to give away her favours.

A blazon was a particular poetic technique used during the 17th century. The blazon named off parts of the woman's body, like a catalogue, and use various metaphors or similes to compare them. An example of this technique is used by Edmund Spenser in his "Sonnet 64", and Shakespeare turns the convention on its head with his poem, "My MIstress' Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun."

Woman Poets

Women Writing Love Poems

Women writing love poems is a relatively rare thing in the world of literature. Traditionally, men wrote the poems and the women were the objects of their poems: their muses. So, the occasion of a woman writing a poem is much more rare. It implies a boldness and an initiative that would be considered more "male" in traditional thinking.

There are some note-able exceptions, however and it is interesting to examine some of these examples:

• Anne Bradstreet, a Elizabethan Puritan woman was a famous poet who, among her other works, also wrote poems to her husband. Her love poems are quite chaste and proper but show the emotion of a woman very attached to her lifelong partner.
• Emily Dickinson, who is well-known for her reflections on nature and death, also, surprisingly wrote a few love poems. She is rumoured to have been in love with a judge but she never married him. Her poems display a sense of intense longing and passion.
• One of the most famous love poems in the English language was written by a woman. The poem is "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways." by Elizabeth Barret Browning. This literary dynamo was married to another famous poet, Robert Browning, and it seemed the two of them burned brightly in their love and creativity.
• Finally, a modern example. Maya Angelou, is perhaps the most well-known poet of our day and age. Her poems speak of justice, and women's issues and love. Her poem, "When You Come," is a response to seductions offered by an old flame. "When you come ... " she says, "I CRY." She is not excited at the prospect of love offered, but instead turns away, rejecting the falseness of it.

Comments

Sharilee Swaity (author) from Canada on January 30, 2016:

@Jodah, so true! Thanks for the tip about the Gold Award ... I was not even aware of any award ... I will have to look into that. And yes, you don't often see poems praising a man, but why not? Have a wonderful evening and sorry for the delayed response.

John Hansen from Gondwana Land on January 11, 2016:

A very good poem and hub overall. It isn't often you read a poem comparing a man to an inanimate object..women are often compared to flowers etc so it is only fair. Great facts about the women writers/poets too. Congratulations on the Gold Award. I found your work through that.

Sharilee Swaity (author) from Canada on December 18, 2012:

Tym, I will e-mail you for more details. I appreciate you thinking of me. I apologize for the long delay in replying. I have been working out of town, without a keyboard to write on. Thanks!

tymburris@earthlink.net on December 11, 2012:

Hello if i may ask i would like to use your poem for an intellectual project, may I have your name?

Sharilee Swaity (author) from Canada on November 15, 2012:

Awww, thank you so much, Faith Reaper. I am glad you enjoyed the poem and blessings to you, as well, my sister. Take care!

Faith Reaper from southern USA on November 05, 2012:

Exceptional poetry dear one. Then with the added history on women poets, just brilliant. Really loved this one.

God bless Voted Way Up to the Heavens

In His Love, Faith Reaper

Sharilee Swaity (author) from Canada on July 15, 2012:

MsDora, I appreciate your very insightful comment so much. Yes, there is so much strength in a diamond that perhaps we don't notice, because of the beauty. Thanks for this!

Dora Weithers from The Caribbean on July 14, 2012:

I love that you focused not on the beauty but on the strength of the diamond. Potent reflections on poets and poetry. Thanks!

Sharilee Swaity (author) from Canada on June 08, 2012:

Tonipet, thank you so much for your appreciation. I am so honoured that you enjoyed. Have a wonderful day!

Tonette Fornillos from The City of Generals on June 07, 2012:

Great comparison. I'm no good with poems but I appreciate the thought of every poem... naturally deep and enchanting. Gentle yet powerful, short yet deep. Amazing. Lovely piece prairieprincess.

Sharilee Swaity (author) from Canada on May 06, 2012:

@Teaches, thank you so much! Yes, a diamond is so valued because it really does not compare to anything else. And that is a lovely interpretation of the poem: that trials make a woman better. Thanks again for your insight. Take care.

Dianna Mendez on May 04, 2012:

You have a great way with words and I love your added history on women and poems. I love Elizabeth and Robert Browning's poems. A diamond is the most beautiful stone and it's brilliance is beyond compare. It does teach us how women throught life's trials can become a gem.

Sharilee Swaity (author) from Canada on April 20, 2012:

f, thanks for noticing that imagery. That's a great observation. I appreciate your comments!

f on April 18, 2012:

Well written poem and good use of language. The line about being pierced in relation to the diamond seems to convey the effective idea of a brilliant stud embedded in an earlobe. But of course you are a former English teacher!

Sharilee Swaity (author) from Canada on April 03, 2012:

Mckenzie, thank you so much. It's so nice to meet a fellow Emily fan. Take care!

Susan Ream from Michigan on April 03, 2012:

Loved your Poem .. that Diamond Man sure woos a woman's heart! Enjoyed how you wove the Great Women of Poetry into the hub. I love Emily Dickinson too!

Voted Up and Awesome!

Mekenzie

Sharilee Swaity (author) from Canada on January 08, 2012:

CM, thank you! I am so glad I was able to introduce you to some new writers. Take care.

Cmbeverly from Delaware, OH on January 06, 2012:

Very good Hub, there are a few names I have discovered here that I will surely read.

Sharilee Swaity (author) from Canada on December 03, 2011:

MsDora, thank you so much. Such kind and encouraging words. I am a huge fan of Emily Dickinson, especially.

Sharilee Swaity (author) from Canada on December 03, 2011:

MsDora, thank you so much. Such kind and encouraging words. I am a huge fan of Emily Dickinson, especially.

Dora Weithers from The Caribbean on December 03, 2011:

I'm happy for you, experiencing such powerful love. Your admiration of the women poets you mentioned is paying off. Voted on most bars.

Sharilee Swaity (author) from Canada on November 29, 2011:

Eiddwen, thank you so much for reading my poetry and your vote of support. Have a wonderful day!

Eiddwen from Wales on November 29, 2011:

A great hub which I thoroughly enjoyed and so a vote up here.

Take care and I wish you a wonderful day.

Eddy.

Sharilee Swaity (author) from Canada on November 23, 2011:

Ocean, I respect your work very much, and your compliment means a lot. Thank you and take care.

Paula from The Midwest, USA on November 22, 2011:

Hi Prairieprincess, this is beautiful, and may be one of my favorite poems I have read so far on Hubpages. Thank you so much for sharing it. It is very lovely and wonderful.

Sharilee Swaity (author) from Canada on November 14, 2011:

Stephanie, thank you so much for your kind comment! I appreciate your feedback so much. And wasn't Elizabeth's poem wonderful? It is so eloquently written. That's so cute that you used to quote it all the time! Take care.

Stephanie Henkel from USA on November 14, 2011:

I loved the comparisons in this poem - most of us would never think of our lover as a diamond, but it's wonderful! I smiled when I read about Elizabeth Barret Browning. When I was a teenager, I memorized "How do I Love Thee?" and quoted it endlessly. I thought it was the romantic writing I had ever heard. Thanks for sharing your poetry and your insights.

Sharilee Swaity (author) from Canada on November 11, 2011:

WD, you are so kind. I love that you recognized this as curriculum because I am a teacher by trade and I try to make my teaching as interesting and engaging as possible. And I agree that this is the best way to teach - through the heart as well as the mind.

WD, you are such a blessing. Take care!

WD Curry 111 from Space Coast on November 09, 2011:

It is a teaching, a lesson. Too much curriculum is dry and boring. From my experience, People get their masters thesis published as a textbook. They have no real experience in their field. The poetry is engaging. It communicates more emotionally than prose. Open the heart, and the mind opens closely behind. Great piece of work. We should have more lessons structured this way in school.

Sharilee Swaity (author) from Canada on November 09, 2011:

Blaise, thank you so much. Take care!

Fehl Dungo from close to you... on November 08, 2011:

Absolutely beautiful.

Sharilee Swaity (author) from Canada on November 08, 2011:

@WD Curry, thank you! I had not thought of it as curriculum but thank you! Have a good night.

@lyricwriter, from someone who writes lyrics, I take that a wonderful compliment. Thank you SO much! Take care.

Sharilee Swaity (author) from Canada on November 08, 2011:

Ann, thank you so much! You are so kind!

Richard Ricky Hale from West Virginia on November 07, 2011:

up, useful, and beautiful. Wow, what a great poem:) Emily is a great poet. I have always enjoyed her poetry. I like the structure of your poem. Very beautiful. Good stuff.

WD Curry 111 from Space Coast on November 07, 2011:

This is the most beautiful curriculum I have ever seen.

annmackiemiller from Bingley Yorkshire England on November 07, 2011:

very good - I've voted it up and stuff.

Sharilee Swaity (author) from Canada on November 06, 2011:

@Rosemary, me too! Emily Dickinson is my favourite. Thanks so much for the comment. I am glad you enjoyed it!

@Lambervant, thank you! Nice to see you again! Take care.

missingyou from Canada on November 06, 2011:

Your love poem is brilliant prairieprincess. Really enjoyed your background essay on how different English speaking poets have treated love poetry, and the contributions made by women. Regards, snakeslane

Lori Colbo from United States on November 06, 2011:

Bravo!

Rosemary Sadler from Hawkes Bay - NewZealand on November 06, 2011:

What a great hub

I do love to read Emily Dickinson and Elizabeth Barret Browning. Jane Austen too wrote the odd love poem.

I enjoyed reading your hub