1. a pause or break in a line of poetry, usually occurring near the middle
Usage: literary

Examples

• The poet used a caesura to create dramatic emphasis in the middle of each line.
• After the word ‘stop,’ there was a clear caesura before the line continued.
• Shakespeare often employed caesuras to vary the rhythm of his verses.
• The caesura in line three creates a moment of reflection for the reader.
• Students learned to identify caesuras when analyzing the poem’s meter.
• The natural caesura occurred where the speaker would naturally pause when reading aloud.