What is enjambment in poetry?

• A. A sentence or clause that runs onto the next line
• B. A line ending with a full stop
• C. A line that ends with a complete phrase
• D. A line that ends with a pause indicated by punctuation

Answer: (A)

Enjambment happens when a sentence or clause continues from one line to the next without a pause or punctuation stopping it at the line break. The thought spills over, so you carry the sense into the next line and often notice the emphasis shifting to the start of that following line. This creates momentum in the poem and can affect how the rhythm and meaning unfold.

This is different from end-stopped lines, where the line ends with a period or other strong punctuation that marks a complete thought at that line, giving a clear stop. If a line feels like it’s finished at the end, the next line starts a new idea rather than continuing the previous one. Similarly, a line that ends with a clearly complete phrase can also feel closed off, signaling a pause rather than continuation. And when a line ends with a punctuation-marked pause, that can create a deliberate break within the line (a caesura) rather than a continuation across the line break. Enjambment, instead, hinges on the absence of that stopping punctuation at the end of a line.