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Pause-ending line

Structure
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 pause-ending line concludes with a deliberate rhythmic or syntactic break (caesura or end-stop), heightening closure, emphasis, or dramatic effect.

Detailed Definition
A verse line ending with natural pause, rest, or hesitation created by punctuation, syntax, or line division. The pause-ending line may be end-stopped with punctuation or may use line break itself to generate pause. This contrasts with enjambed lines where syntax continues without rest. Pause-ending lines reinforce line as temporal unit, create rhythmic regularity, and provide moments of reflection or emphasis at line conclusions.
Example
Example in poetry:
Pause-ending line in William Carlos Williams’ “This Is Just To Say”: “so sweet / and so cold”; Sylvia Plath’s “Edge”: “The woman is perfected”; pause-ending line uses enjambment or caesura to create breath or suspense; modern example: Ocean Vuong ends lines with silence to emphasize trauma; this technique shapes rhythm and emotional impact; it’s central to free verse craft.
Additional Notes
Creates natural pause through line division even without punctuation. Fundamental to understanding line as prosodic unit creating temporal effects.
Also Known As
End-stopped line Terminal pause verse Concluding rest line Stopped verse
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