An Athlete's Journey

Amateur,

Nervous, hesitant,

Trying, waiting, pondering

Rookie, chump -- specialist, expert

Maturing, learning, committing,

Proficient, prepared,

Professional

by Mara A.

This poem is an example of a diamante. A diamante is a diamond shaped poem that expresses contrast. This website doesn't allow me to arrange it in the shape of a diamond but in my calendar it will be in the corresponding shape. In this case, this poem is about an amateur athlete versus a professional one (the contrast). In the beginning of any athlete's career there tends to be a lack of confidence and he/she tends to be very unsure of the plays they want to make. On the other hand, a professional athlete is almost always sure of himself/herself and there always needs to be confidence in their ability to play as an individual or a team. Olympic athletes know the essence of both sides as they were once amateurs who eventually turned into olympians (some of which are also professional). In this poem there are a lot of adjectives used to enhance the contrast between amateurs and professionals, as well as the repetition of the syllable 'ing'. The alliteration of the letter 'p' in the last three words is also used to accentuate the description of a professional.