End Stop, Caesura, and
Enjambment
Enjambment

An enjambed line means the line continues
through into the next line of poetry.

It is also called a “run-on” line.

No punctuation will appear at the end of an
ENJAMBED LINE.

You are meant to read straight through the
line when it contains no punctuation at the
end.
Use

Enjambed lines have no sound
separation giving a “straddling” effect
to the two lines.

Enjambment sometimes allows for a
double meaning.
Examples
. . . Now conscience wakes despair
That slumber’d, wakes the bitter memory
Of what he was, what is, and what must be
Worse; of worse deeds worse sufferings
must
ensure
Examples
I am not prone to weeping, as our sex
Commonly are; the want of which vain dew
Perchance shall dry your pities; but I have
That honourable grief lodged here which burns
Worse than tears drown.
Caesura

A "caesura" is an audible division in a
line of poetry that occurs at the end of
a word; however, the important point is
that the word end does not correspond
with the end of a foot (review what
“foot” means).

Punctuation is not necessary for a
caesura to occur.
Use

Caesura is used to contrast words,
and necessarily contrast ideas.

Listen for halting syllables at the end
of words.
Examples

The owl, for all his feathers, was acold.

Sing, goddess, the rage of Achilles the
son of Peleus.

England - how I long for thee!
End Stop/End-Stopped

End stop is the opposite of an enjambed
line.

A metrical line ending at a grammatical
boundary or break—such as a dash or
closing parenthesis—or with punctuation
such as a colon, a semicolon, or a
period.

A line is considered end-stopped, too, if it
contains a complete phrase.
Use

The clear ending of a line has a
metered impact.

Look for end rhyme.
Examples
A.
A little learning is a dangerous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring.
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.
Examples
B.
Then say not man’s imperfect, Heav’n in fault;
Say rather, man’s as perfect as he ought: His knowledge measur’d to his state and place, His time a moment, and a point his space. If to be perfect in a certain sphere, What matter, soon or late, or here or there? The blest today is as completely so, As who began a thousand years ago.