Definition

1. Adjective:
   • (Poetry) Having a rhetorical pause at the end of each line: Describes a line of verse where the end of the line coincides with a natural pause in the syntax or meaning, such as a comma, period, or other punctuation mark. This creates a distinct break before the next line begins.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The poet's use of end-stopped lines gives the poem a slow, deliberate, and formal rhythm.
  • Much of Alexander Pope's heroic couplet verse is end-stopped, with each pair of lines forming a complete grammatical unit.
  • In contrast to enjambment, an end-stopped line feels more final and self-contained.

Advanced Usage

• As a literary/technical term: The term is primarily used in the analysis and discussion of poetry and verse. It describes a specific structural and rhythmic quality.
  • The critic noted the shift from end-stopped lines in the early stanzas to enjambed lines in the climax, creating a sense of urgency.

Variants and Related Words

• End-stop (noun): The punctuation or natural pause that causes a line to be end-stopped.
  • The period at the end of the line is a strong end-stop.
• Enjambment (noun): The opposite technique, where a sentence or clause runs over from one line to the next without a pause.
  • The poet used enjambment to create a flowing, continuous thought across several lines.

Synonyms

• Paused
• Terminal-paused (less common, technical)
• Line-broken (contextual)

Antonyms

• Enjambed
• Run-on

Adjective

1. (verse) having a rhetorical pause at the end of each line