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Enjambed couplet

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A rhyming pair where syntax flows uninterrupted across the line break

Detailed Definition
Enjambed couplet consists of two rhymed lines where the syntactic unit continues uninterrupted from the first to the second line, creating fluidity and momentum; this technique delays closure and can heighten tension, surprise, or conversational naturalness.
Example
Example in poetry:
Shakespeare’s sonnets use enjambed couplets rarely, but Milton does: “That glory never shall his wrath or might / Extort from me”; Enjambed couplets in Donne: “And makes me end, where I begun.”; Contemporary example: “We build walls / then call them home.”; Enjambment creates tension across the couplet’s expected closure.
Additional Notes
A two-line unit where syntax continues from first to second line without pause, creating fluid connection. Fundamental enjambment technique. Contrast with closed couplet. Study how run-on structure affects emphasis and meaning distribution across line break.
Also Known As
Run-on couplet Overflowing two-liner Continuous pair Flowing doublet Couplet, open Run-on pair
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