Poetic Terms Dictionary
Structure

Hemistich

From Greek hemi (half) + stichos (line). In Old English poetry, both hemistichs must be alliteratively linked. In classical Arabic poetry, each hemistich (misra) is a unit of sense.

Definition

Half a line of verse, created by the division of the caesura; each half-line is a hemistich.

Example

'To err is human; || to forgive, divine.' — each of the two halves is a hemistich.

Related Terms

Caesura Alliterative Verse Foot