Terminative case, though not a standard grammatical category in English, in poetic linguistics refers to linguistic markers or syntactic constructions that signal the end, limit, or completion of an action or state; poets may evoke terminative aspect through verbs like “cease,” “expire,” or “conclude,” or through formal closure (e.g., a final rhyme), using grammatical cues to underscore themes of mortality, resolution, or finality.

Grammatical case marking terminus, limit, boundary. Common in Finnish. Understanding cases enriches reading of inflected-language poetry in translation. Note how position/form convey meaning.