caesural

1 9.9

Showing a pause or break in a line of poetry

adjective
/siˈzjʊrəl/

Literature

: cesural

The caesural pause in the first line of the verse emphasizes the emotional weight of the words.

Examples

In his poem, the use of caesural breaks creates a dramatic effect that captures the reader's attention.
Each caesural element in the rhythm of the poem contributes to its overall musicality.
The following systems from Richard III and Romeo and Juliet illustrate this development (in particular, note how Romeo's soliloquy observes the caesural pauses):

Academic text (2005)

Surface Forms

caesural positive

Morphology

caesural = caesura (transparent) = caesura + al

This is a regular adjective formation meaning 'relating to' caesura, so the semantic connection is direct.

Etymology

The word caesural comes from caesura and the Latin caedere, meaning 'to cut'. So a caesural pause is like a 'cut' in a line of a poem that breaks the flow and makes the next words stand out.