In poetry, enjambment (/ɛnˈdʒæmbmənt/ or /ɪnˈdʒæmmənt/; from the French enjamber)[1][2][3] is incomplete syntax at the end of a line;[4] the meaning 'runs over' or 'steps over' from one poetic line to the next, without punctuation.[5] Lines without enjambment are end-stopped.[6] The origin of the word is credited to the French word enjamber, which means 'to straddle or encroach'.[1][7]
In reading, the delay of meaning creates a tension that is released when the word or phrase that completes the syntax is encountered (called the rejet);[2] the tension arises from the "mixed message" produced both by the pause of the line-end, and the suggestion to continue provided by the incomplete meaning.[8] In spite of the apparent contradiction between rhyme, which heightens closure, and enjambment, which delays it, the technique is compatible with rhymed verse.[8] Even in couplets, the closed or heroic couplet was a late development; older is the open couplet, where rhyme and enjambed lines co-exist.[8]
Enjambment has a long history in poetry. Homer used the technique, and it is the norm for alliterative verse where rhyme is unknown.[8] In the 32nd Psalm of the Hebrew Bible enjambment is unusually conspicuous.[9] It was used extensively in England by Elizabethan poets for dramatic and narrative verses, before giving way to closed couplets. The example of John Milton in Paradise Lost laid the foundation for its subsequent use by the English Romantic poets; in its preface he identified it as one of the chief features of his verse: "sense variously drawn out from one verse into another".[8]
April is the cruellest month, breeding 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.
I am not prone to weeping, as our sex Commonly are; the want of which vain dew Perchance shall dry your pities; but I have That honourable grief lodged here which burns Worse than tears drown.
Meaning flows as the lines progress, and the reader's eye is forced to go on to the next sentence. It can also make the reader feel uncomfortable or the poem feel like "flow-of-thought" with a sensation of urgency or disorder. In contrast, the following lines from Romeo and Juliet (c. 1595) are completely end-stopped:
A glooming peace this morning with it brings. The sun for sorrow will not show his head. Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things. Some shall be pardon'd, and some punishèd.
Each line is formally correspondent with a unit of thought—in this case, a clause of a sentence. End-stopping is more frequent in early Shakespeare: as his style developed, the proportion of enjambment in his plays increased. Scholars such as Goswin König and A. C. Bradley have estimated approximate dates of undated works of Shakespeare by studying the frequency of enjambment.
Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness; but still will keep A bower quiet for us...
The song "One Night In Bangkok", from the musical Chess, written by Tim Rice and Björn Ulvaeus, includes examples such as :
The creme de la creme of the chess world in a Show with everything but Yul Brynner This grips me more than would a Muddy old river or reclining Buddha
Closely related to enjambment is the technique of "broken rhyme" or "split rhyme" which involves the splitting of an individual word, typically to allow a rhyme with one or more syllables of the split word. In English verse, broken rhyme is used almost exclusively in light verse, such as to form a word that rhymes with "orange", as in this example by Willard Espy, in his poem "The Unrhymable Word: Orange":
The clapping game "Miss Susie" uses the break "... Hell / -o operator" to allude to the taboo word "Hell", then replaces it with the innocuous "Hello".
See alsoedit
Look up enjambment in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
^ abGreene, Roland; Cushman, Stephen; Cavanagh, Clare; Ramazani, Jahan; Rouzer, Paul; Feinsod, Harris; Marno, David; Slessarev, Alexandra (2012-08-26). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics. Princeton University Press. ISBN978-0-691-15491-6.
^ abGroves, Peter Lewis. "Run-on Line, Enjambment". The Literary Encyclopedia. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
^Gardner, Thomas (2005). Jorie Graham: Essays on the Poetry. Univ of Wisconsin Press. ISBN978-0-299-20324-5.
^Chris Baldick (30 October 2008). The Oxford dictionary of literary terms. Oxford University Press. pp. 108–. ISBN978-0-19-920827-2. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
^"Enjambment - Definition and Examples of Enjambment". Literary Devices. 2020-12-22. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
^William R. Taylor, The Book of Psalms, The Interpreters' Bible, volume VI, 1955, Abingdon Press, Nashville, p. 169
^Lederer, Richard (2003). A Man of my Words: Reflections on the English Language. New York: Macmillan. ISBN0-312-31785-9.
Referencesedit
Preminger, Alex; et al. (1993). The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics. US: Princeton University Press. ISBN0-691-02123-6.
Further readingedit
John Hollander, Vision and Resonance, Oxford U. Press, 1975 (especially chapter 5).
December 15, 2023
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In poetry enjambment ɛ n ˈ dʒ ae m b m en t or ɪ n ˈ dʒ ae m m en t from the French enjamber 1 2 3 is incomplete syntax at the end of a line 4 the meaning runs over or steps over from one poetic line to the next without punctuation 5 Lines without enjambment are end stopped 6 The origin of the word is credited to the French word enjamber which means to straddle or encroach 1 7 In reading the delay of meaning creates a tension that is released when the word or phrase that completes the syntax is encountered called the rejet 2 the tension arises from the mixed message produced both by the pause of the line end and the suggestion to continue provided by the incomplete meaning 8 In spite of the apparent contradiction between rhyme which heightens closure and enjambment which delays it the technique is compatible with rhymed verse 8 Even in couplets the closed or heroic couplet was a late development older is the open couplet where rhyme and enjambed lines co exist 8 Enjambment has a long history in poetry Homer used the technique and it is the norm for alliterative verse where rhyme is unknown 8 In the 32nd Psalm of the Hebrew Bible enjambment is unusually conspicuous 9 It was used extensively in England by Elizabethan poets for dramatic and narrative verses before giving way to closed couplets The example of John Milton in Paradise Lost laid the foundation for its subsequent use by the English Romantic poets in its preface he identified it as one of the chief features of his verse sense variously drawn out from one verse into another 8 Contents 1 Examples 2 See also 3 Notes 4 References 5 Further readingExamples editThe start of The Waste Land by T S Eliot with only lines 4 and 7 end stopped April is the cruellest month breeding 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 These lines from Shakespeare s The Winter s Tale c 1611 are heavily enjambed meaning enjambment is used I am not prone to weeping as our sex Commonly are the want of which vain dew Perchance shall dry your pities but I have That honourable grief lodged here which burns Worse than tears drown Meaning flows as the lines progress and the reader s eye is forced to go on to the next sentence It can also make the reader feel uncomfortable or the poem feel like flow of thought with a sensation of urgency or disorder In contrast the following lines from Romeo and Juliet c 1595 are completely end stopped A glooming peace this morning with it brings The sun for sorrow will not show his head Go hence to have more talk of these sad things Some shall be pardon d and some punished Each line is formally correspondent with a unit of thought in this case a clause of a sentence End stopping is more frequent in early Shakespeare as his style developed the proportion of enjambment in his plays increased Scholars such as Goswin Konig and A C Bradley have estimated approximate dates of undated works of Shakespeare by studying the frequency of enjambment Endymion by John Keats lines 2 4 Its loveliness increases it will never Pass into nothingness but still will keep A bower quiet for us The song One Night In Bangkok from the musical Chess written by Tim Rice and Bjorn Ulvaeus includes examples such as The creme de la creme of the chess world in a Show with everything but Yul Brynner This grips me more than would a Muddy old river or reclining Buddha Closely related to enjambment is the technique of broken rhyme or split rhyme which involves the splitting of an individual word typically to allow a rhyme with one or more syllables of the split word In English verse broken rhyme is used almost exclusively in light verse such as to form a word that rhymes with orange as in this example by Willard Espy in his poem The Unrhymable Word Orange The four eng ineers Wore orange brassieres 10 The clapping game Miss Susie uses the break Hell o operator to allude to the taboo word Hell then replaces it with the innocuous Hello See also edit nbsp Look up enjambment in Wiktionary the free dictionary Blank verse Caesura Concrete poetry Free verse Line break poetry Notes edit a b Greene Roland Cushman Stephen Cavanagh Clare Ramazani Jahan Rouzer Paul Feinsod Harris Marno David Slessarev Alexandra 2012 08 26 The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics Princeton University Press ISBN 978 0 691 15491 6 a b Groves Peter Lewis Run on Line Enjambment The Literary Encyclopedia Retrieved 1 December 2013 Gardner Thomas 2005 Jorie Graham Essays on the Poetry Univ of Wisconsin Press ISBN 978 0 299 20324 5 Chris Baldick 30 October 2008 The Oxford dictionary of literary terms Oxford University Press pp 108 ISBN 978 0 19 920827 2 Retrieved 16 May 2013 Enjambment Definition and Examples of Enjambment Literary Devices 2020 12 22 Retrieved 2021 09 05 Enjambment www cs lewisu edu Retrieved 2021 09 05 Nims John Frederick 1981 The Harper Anthology of Poetry Harper amp Row ISBN 978 0 06 044847 9 a b c d e Preminger 359 William R Taylor The Book of Psalms The Interpreters Bible volume VI 1955 Abingdon Press Nashville p 169 Lederer Richard 2003 A Man of my Words Reflections on the English Language New York Macmillan ISBN 0 312 31785 9 References editPreminger Alex et al 1993 The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics US Princeton University Press ISBN 0 691 02123 6 Further reading editJohn Hollander Vision and Resonance Oxford U Press 1975 especially chapter 5 Free online explanation with examples Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Enjambment amp oldid 1147861583, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
