Caesura: A break or pause in a line of poetry that contributes to the rhythm of the line.
Example: An Essay on Man
by
Alexander Pope
Know then thyself II, presume not God to scan;
The proper study of Mankind II is Man.
Plac'd on this isthmus of a middle state,
A being darkly wise, and rudely great:
The proper study of Mankind II is Man.
Plac'd on this isthmus of a middle state,
A being darkly wise, and rudely great:
Thanks for the post! I found this to be very interesting and I learned a lot.
ReplyDeleteI would not have thought of a caesura as spring loaded energy that is ready to shoot forth, as a way to get you emotionally involved. Now i'll never forget this term thanks for the post
ReplyDeleteThanks for finding such a helpful video! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the interesting video. The poem was easy to follow of where the breaks were at.
ReplyDeleteThis is in keeping with the idea that poetry is meant to be heard as well as read. A caesura, if offered orally, is somewhat like a comma, which is meant to make us pause on the page. But as he explains, the effect is more energetic and perhaps even emotional than a comma or other form of punctuation.
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