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Terminal caesura

Meter
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 caesura (pause) positioned precisely at the end of a verse line, often reinforcing closure or metrical regularity.

Detailed Definition
A pause, break, or caesura occurring at the end of a verse line rather than in the medial position where caesuras typically appear. Terminal caesura is an unusual term since most caesuras occur mid-line, but the concept identifies end-positioned pauses created by punctuation or natural rest. Understanding this helps analyze how pauses function differently depending on placement within line structure.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Stop!—and hear the silence after thunder”; “Go now—”; “Love me—”; “Wait—what was that sound?”; “Speak—before the night swallows your voice”
Additional Notes
Unusual term for pause at line end. Most caesuras occur mid-line. Understanding this helps analyze how pauses function in verse structure.
Also Known As
End caesura Line-end pause Terminal break Final rest End-stopping
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