Angular enjambment describes a line break that creates a sharp, jarring, or unexpected syntactic or semantic turn, disrupting the reader’s anticipation and generating tension or cognitive dissonance; unlike smooth or anticipatory enjambment, angular enjambment fractures the flow, often placing a preposition, article, or conjunction at the end of a line to produce a sense of instability or rupture, as in lines ending with “of” or “the,” compelling the reader to reorient rapidly and experience the poem as a site of linguistic friction.

Enjambment creating sharp angular turn in sense or syntax across line break. More abrupt than smooth enjambment. Creates tension or surprise. Useful for dramatic or disruptive effects in free or formal verse.