Caesura

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /sɪˈzjʊəɹə/

Definitions

1. A rhythmic pause or interruption occurring within a line of poetry or musical phrase, typically at a point of natural phrasing rather than at the line's end
2. A structural pause within a metrical line that marks a natural stopping point in the rhythmic or semantic flow
3. A deliberate interruption of rhythm in the middle of a verse or musical sequence to create emphasis or a natural division

Etymology: In Latin, "caesūra" meant simply "a cutting" or "hewing," the act of chopping something down. The root is "caedō," "to cut down," and the same verb gave Latin many words about striking and felling. Its use in verse came later: the term was applied to a pause falling in the middle of a line, as though the line had been cut in two. That image explains the word's sense in poetry. A caesura is a break within a verse, usually marked by a natural pause in speech, which splits the line into two halves. The metaphor was not a poetic flourish invented for English readers; it simply carries the physical meaning of the Latin root over into the rhythm of a line.

Synonyms: pause, break, interruption, rest, stop

Antonyms: continuation, flow, uninterruptedness, smoothness, continuity