WordValecaesura
a pause or break within a line of poetry
In more detail
1. (noun) a pause or break in the middle of a line of poetry
2. (noun) any pause or interruption in the middle of something
Examples
- 1. The caesura in the line "Yet fame is theirs || and folly is our own" creates a dramatic pause.
- 2. There was a caesura in their conversation when they heard the loud noise outside.
How to use caesura
Caesura is a technical term used primarily in prosody and literary analysis to describe a deliberate pause within a metrical line of verse, typically marked by punctuation or syntax. In broader usage, it refers to any significant interruption or break in continuity. The term carries a literary or formal tone and is less common in everyday speech.
Common phrases
- caesura in a line
- metrical caesura
- midline caesura
- marked by a caesura
- caesura divides
Synonyms
pause · break · interruption · gap · hiatus
Word family
caesural (adjective)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse caesura with enjambment, which is the opposite—a continuation of thought across line breaks without a pause.
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