What is Enjambment? Definition and Examples for UK Students

📚 What is Enjambment?

Enjambment, also known as run-on lines, is a poetic device where a sentence or phrase continues from one line of poetry to the next without a pause. This creates a sense of momentum and can emphasize certain words or ideas.

Quick Study Guide

• ✍️ Enjambment occurs when a line breaks mid-sentence.
• ➡️ It creates a sense of flow and momentum.
• 🗣️ Pay attention to punctuation at the end of lines. The absence of punctuation often signals enjambment.
• 🧐 Enjambment can emphasize certain words.
• 📖 Look for examples in famous poems to understand better.

Practice Quiz

1. Which of the following best describes enjambment?

   1. A) The use of rhyming words at the end of lines.
   2. B) The continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next without a pause.
   3. C) The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.
   4. D) A pause or break in a line of poetry.

2. What effect does enjambment typically have on the reading of a poem?

   1. A) It slows down the pace and creates a sense of formality.
   2. B) It speeds up the pace and creates a sense of flow.
   3. C) It makes the poem more difficult to understand.
   4. D) It has no effect on the reading of the poem.

3. Which of the following lines is an example of enjambment?

   1. A) "The cat sat on the mat, quite still."
   2. B) "I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills."
   3. C) "Roses are red, violets are blue."
   4. D) "The sun did shine, and birds did sing."

4. What is the opposite of enjambment?

   1. A) Alliteration
   2. B) Caesura
   3. C) End-stopping
   4. D) Assonance

5. In which type of poetry is enjambment most commonly found?

   1. A) Haiku
   2. B) Sonnet
   3. C) Free verse
   4. D) Limerick

6. What might an author use enjambment to emphasize?

   1. A) The rhyme scheme
   2. B) The rhythm
   3. C) A specific word or idea
   4. D) The stanza breaks

7. Which punctuation mark is LEAST likely to appear at the end of a line using enjambment?

   1. A) Comma (,)
   2. B) Period (.)
   3. C) Question Mark (?)
   4. D) Exclamation Point (!)