Caesura

When you read a poem out loud, you instinctively pause at certain words or lines, and often modulate your voice to emphasise certain words and phrases. What are these techniques concerning pauses and breaks in poetry called? The answer: Caesura! Read on to find out more about this technical term in poetry.

Caesura definition

Whilst we can spot caesura when we see a comma, colon, semicolon, or full-stop in the middle of a line of poetry, caesura is often indicated by the use of lines, either slashed (//) or upright (||).

Plath uses a full-stop and a comma to create momentary stops in the lines of poetry to disrupt the flow of the poem and emphasise particular words and phrases to reinforce the meaning of the poem.

The comma between 'I am not cruel' and 'only truthful' slows the pace of the poem, forcing the reader to slow down and ponder the idea of the mirror as a cruel and truthful thing.

Types of Caesura and example

Different types of caesuras include masculine caesura, feminine caesura, medial caesura and terminal caesura.

Let's look at some examples of different types of caesura:

Caesura in Literature

Masculine Caesura

This poem contains multiple examples of masculine caesura, indicated by ||. The sounds that follow the caesura are stressed when spoken aloud. For example, in the line 'What art can a woman be good at? || Oh vain!', 'Oh' is an exclamatory expression, hence the stress. As the stressed 'Oh' follows an unstressed syllable, it is an example of masculine caesura.

In the following line, 'What art is she good at, || but hurting her breast',' the use of 'but' is indicative of a masculine caesura. 'B' is a bilabial sound, which is a sound made when both lips are tightly pressed together, emphasising the stress on the word 'but'. The fact that the stressed 'b' sound follows the unstressed word 'at,' makes it an example of masculine caesura as the caesura occurs prior to the stressed syllable.

Feminine Caesura

Here, the caesura occurs in the first line after 'Your person fair'. The following word 'and' is unstressed, making this an example of feminine caesura. 'And' only has one syllable, making it a short syllable word, further exemplifying Millay's use of feminine caesura as the pause occurs prior to the unstressed short syllable word.

Medial Caesura

As the double lines indicate, the caesura occurs in the middle of the line making it a medial caesura as both lines are equally divided into two parts.

Terminal Caesura

In the last two lines of the poem, Larkin uses caesura to amplify his uncertainty, emphasising the word 'perhaps'. This is an example of terminal caesura as the pause (created by the comma) happens before the final line of the poem.

Placement of Caesura

Throughout history, caesura has differed in its placement in poetry. In neoclassical and romantic verse, caesura commonly appears in the middle of the line (medial caesura). However, in modern contexts the placement of caesura is more changeable, occurring at the start, middle, or end of a line (terminal caesura).

A stack of books.

Caesura effects in poetry

Effects of caesura in literature

Let's look at examples of these effects of caesura in literature

Caesura Examples

Disruption of flow

The following lines describe an interaction between two people picked last in a PE (sports) lesson in school:

Cope's use of caesura in the second line disrupts the flow of the text, mirroring the jaunty awkwardness of trying to avoid eye contact with another person. Can you think of a time when you know someone is looking at you and are trying not to catch their eye, the awkward feeling of being watched? The disjointed nature of this line embodies the awkwardness of the scenario Cope is writing about.

Emphasizing words, phrases, and ideas

Chingonyi's use of caesura highlights the saddest parts of the lines, emotionally charging the poem. These are the last two lines of the poem. All the other stanzas of the poem except the one written here are 4 lines long. The fact that the final stanza, in which he talks about his mothers' death, is only two lines long, signifies his loss and emulates the fact he has lost his mother, someone who completes him, as this stanza appears incomplete in comparison to the others. The way the caesura emphasises the dying of his mother demonstrates how caesura can reinforce the meaning of the poem by shining light on themes and ideas (such as loss).

The caesura singles out the imagery of a stone as the phrase 'a stone' is isolated by commas. We are left with the startling image of a stone, cold and lifeless, a state that the poet wishes their mother is never found in. We experience her being dead before she actually is, as the caesura forces the image of her as cold and lifeless as a stone to the forefront of our minds.

Replicating a conversational tone / the flow of language

The momentary pauses created by the semicolon in the first line and the commas dotted throughout replicate the flow of conversation. As a verse novel rather than a standard poem, the caesura helps make the text read more like prose rather than traditional poetry. The prose-like nature of the poem makes it easier to tell a story whilst keeping the lyrical undertones, as poetry is typically more cryptic than prose.

Reinforcing the meaning of the poem

This poem is about a woman realising that her husband is having an affair. The poem reveals the speaker's state of melancholic acceptance that comes with her realisation.

Sexton's use of caesura emphasises words and phrases that signpost her emotions. In the first line, the pause highlights the phrase 'my darling'. This phrase is emotionally charged. It is sad that to hear her refer to her husband as 'darling,' as it reminds readers of their previous love which has now dissipated, making 'darling' an awkward word for her to use as it doesn't describe their relationship anymore. It also makes readers feel sorry for her as it suggests she still has some romantic feelings for him, or maybe she uses this phrase to induce guilt.

The pause after 'a luxury' highlights how women were viewed / treated in the 1960s. Sexton wrote this poem prior to second-wave feminism starting in the 1970s. Women at the time were perceived as luxuries tacked on to the already complete life of a man.

Which types of caesura create different effects?

Examples of Caesura in Literature

Whilst caesura is considered a poetic technique, it is not limited to poetry. It can also be used in free verse and music. Shakespeare uses caesura in his plays, wherein many characters have pauses in their lines.

Similar to how caesura was used in 'Aurora Lee' by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the pauses inserted in Iago's soliloquy replicate the natural flow of speech. When we talk, we pause to consider our thoughts and think about what to say next. Shakespeare's use of caesura makes Iago's speech seem more authentic and realistic and it leaves him space to ponder how his plan will unravel.