Poetic Terms Dictionary
Structure

End-Stopped Line

The dominant practice in neo-classical couplet verse (Dryden, Pope). Romantics often preferred enjambment for a more breathless, forward-moving effect.

Definition

A line of poetry that concludes with a grammatical pause or complete unit of sense, often reinforced by punctuation.

Example

'She walks in beauty, like the night.' (Byron) — complete sense and punctuation align at the line's end.

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