What Is Enjambment? | Definition & Examples
Enjambment is when one line of a poem continues onto the next line without any end punctuation. Because ideas flow from one line to the next, it creates a sense of momentum and changes the flow of a stanza.
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.
What is enjambment?
Enjambment is a poetic technique that involves continuing one line from a poem onto the next line or stanza without punctuation. The word “enjambment” comes from the French word enjambement, meaning “to step over,” which explains why one line continues to the next.
The poet uses this continuation to create a sense of flow to guide the reader into a rhythm that pulls them through the poem. Enjambment emphasizes to the reader that one line is a continuous thought that finishes on the next.
Across the lines of straighter darker trees
I like to think some boy’s been swinging them” —“Birches” by Robert Frost
End-stopped lines are when a poem follows the “usual” pattern of line breaks at the end of each sentence or line. They often conclude with a punctuation mark such as a comma, semicolon, or period.
End-stopped lines signify a completed thought that requires a pause before continuing to the next one. The pauses at the end of most lines tend to create a more measured and deliberate rhythm than enjambed lines.
But came the waves and washed it away:
Again I wrote it with a second hand,
But came the tide, and made my pains his prey.” —“Sonnet 75” by Edmund Spenser
What is the purpose of enjambment?
Using enjambment in poetry serves many purposes to help influence the reader’s overall experience of the poem. Writers use enjambment to:
- Create rhythm and flow. By carrying ideas from one line to the next, enjambment creates a pace that allows the reader to move smoothly from line to line.
- Emphasize certain words or phrases. Using enjambment to let the reader continue to each of the next lines places less emphasis on those lines and more on end-stopped lines.
- Provide a sense of continuity. Enjambment can make a poem feel more natural and even conversational. This almost prose-like style allows for a more flexible structure than more rigid end-stopped lines.
- Engage readers. Enjambment leads readers through the poem with a sense of urgency or a feeling of suspense. This instills intrigue in the reader and builds momentum.
Enjambment examples
In “The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop, enjambment allows Bishop to use longer sentences and more complete thoughts, allowing for more descriptive language.
and held him beside the boat
half out of water, with my hook
fast in a corner of his mouth.
He didn’t fight.
He hadn’t fought at all.
He hung a grunting weight,
battered and venerable
and homely. Here and there
his brown skin hung in strips
like ancient wallpaper,
and its pattern of darker brown
was like wallpaper:
shapes like full-blown roses
stained and lost through age.
Pablo Neruda uses enjambment and end-stopped lines to vary the length of lines and sentences throughout this stanza.
one thing.
You know how this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists,
aromas, light, metals,
were little boats
that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.
Frequently asked questions about enjambment
- Why is enjambment important in poetry?
-
Enjambment is important because it dictates the flow and rhythm of a poem. The seamless transitions between lines draw the reader along at the pace the author intended the poem to be read.
It also allows the poet to emphasize certain words. Using enjambment quickens the pace, so when the reader comes to an end-stopped word, it brings attention to it.
Scribbr’s free Paraphrasing Tool can help you come up with the perfect wording for your poetry.
- What is the difference between enjambment and end-stopped lines?
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Enjambed lines are lines in poems that continue from one line to the next without pause or punctuation. End-stopped lines pause at the end of a line in a poem, often because of a punctuation mark.
Enjambed lines allow for a more continuous flow throughout the poem, while end-stopped lines make the reader pause.
Scribbr’s free Paraphrasing Tool can help you come up with the perfect wording for your poetry.
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Cove, R. (2024, November 25). What Is Enjambment? | Definition & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved January 20, 2025, from https://www.scribbr.com/rhetoric/enjambment/
