cesure

[sey-zhur, -sher]

cesure Definition

a pause or break in a line of verse, indicated in scansion by a double vertical line.

Using cesure: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "cesure" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

  • Example

    The cesure in this line of poetry falls after the word 'break.'

  • Example

    The poet used a cesure to create a sense of pause and reflection.

  • Example

    The cesure is an important element of traditional poetic structure.

cesure Synonyms and Antonyms

Phrases with cesure

  • a cesure that occurs after a stressed syllable

    Example

    In the line 'To be or not to be, that is the question,' the masculine cesure falls after the word 'not.'

  • a cesure that occurs after an unstressed syllable

    Example

    In the line 'The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain,' the feminine cesure falls after the word 'in.'

  • the plural form of cesure

    Example

    The poem contains several caesurae, which help to create its rhythm and structure.

Origins of cesure

from Latin 'caesura', meaning 'cutting' or 'division'

📌

Summary: cesure in Brief

The term 'cesure' [sey-zhur, -sher] refers to a pause or break in a line of verse, typically marked by a double vertical line. It is an essential element of traditional poetic structure, used to create rhythm and structure in a poem. Cesure can be classified as either masculine or feminine, depending on whether it falls after a stressed or unstressed syllable. The term is formal and often used in discussions of poetry and literary analysis.