Caesura
Definition
Caesura refers to a pause or break within a line of poetry. It can be indicated by punctuation marks or occur naturally in the rhythm of the poem.
Analogy
Think of caesura as a musical rest in a song. Just like how rests create pauses in music, caesuras create pauses in poetry, adding emphasis and allowing for reflection.
Related terms
Enjambment: The continuation of a sentence or thought from one line to the next without any pause.
Meter: The rhythmic pattern created by stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry.
Sonnet: A 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme and meter.
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