Line Break
Definition
A line break is where one line ends and another begins in a poem. It determines how the poem looks on the page and affects its rhythm and meaning.
Analogy
Think of line breaks as traffic lights on a road. They control the flow of words, just like traffic lights control the flow of cars. Each time there's a line break, it's like stopping at an intersection before moving forward with new ideas or images.
Related terms
Caesura: Caesura is a deliberate pause or break within a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation.
Meter: Meter refers to the rhythmic structure of lines in poetry, created through patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables.
End-stopped Line: An end-stopped line is when there's punctuation at the end of each poetic line, creating pauses between ideas.
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