Last month, I had the opportunity to teach a workshop on Syllabic Poetry at the 2025 Imaginarium Convention in Kentucky.

As part of that workshop, I got to talk about one of my favorite syllabic forms: the Dizain.

History of the Dizain

The exact history of the Dizain is unknown- only that it originated in France and was a favorite among 15th and 16th century poets. However, it was adapted into English and eventually became popular with the help of Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586) with his work “The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia.“

It’s said that John Keats (1795-1891) and Robert Frost (1874-1963) also favored the Dizain, but I’ve yet to verify that.

How to Write a Dizain

The Dizain is a rhyming poem that consists of ten lines with ten syllables each. It also traditionally has a strict rhyme scheme of ABABB CCDCD, but I’ve also written them unrhymed.

Therefore, a traditional Dizain would look like this:

Line 1 (10 syllables) (A)
Line 2 (10 syllables) (B)
Line 3 (10 syllables) (rhymes with A)
Line 4 (10 syllables) (rhymes with B)
Line 5 (10 syllables) (rhymes with B)

Line 6 (10 syllables) (C)
Line 7 (10 syllables) (rhymes with C)
Line 8 (10 syllables) (D)
Line 9 (10 syllables) (rhymes with C)
Line 10 (10 syllables) (rhymes with D)

You can choose to add the space between lines 5 and 6, or you can keep it as a single poem- whichever works for you. Also, as I stated above, the rhyme scheme is traditional, but you can write a Dizain without it. Just make sure to call it “modified.” 😁

Dizain Example

I joy in grief, and do detest all joys;
Despise delight, am tir’d with thought of ease:
I turn my head to all forms of annoys,
And with the change of them my fancy please,
I study that which may me most displease,
And in despite of that displeasure’s might,
Embrace that most, that most my soul destroys;
Blinded with beams, fell darkness is my sight:
Dwell in my ruins, feed with sucking smart,
I think from me, not from my woes to part.

-From “The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia” by Sir Philip Sidney (note that the rhyme scheme is different, but the basic 10×10 format is there)

My Examples

There you have it! Remember- ten lines of ten syllables each, and use the rhyme scheme if you want it to be traditional.

Have you written a Dizain before? Let me know in the comments!