Stops occur during natural grammatical and structural stopping points. In a poem, they occur at the end of clauses (signified by a period, semi-colon, comma, etc.) and at the end of lines. There are three kinds of stops that are used in poetry, end-stopping, enjambment and caesura.
| Term | Definition | Symbol |
|---|---|---|
| End-stopping | An end-stop occurs when the end of a clause matches the end of a line. | ◼ |
| Enjambment | Enjambment occurs when a clause is broken into two by a line break. | ∴ |
| Caesura | Caesura occurs when the end of a clause falls within a line. | || |
Behold her,|| single in the field, ◼
Yon solitary Highland Lass! ◼
Reaping and singing by herself; ◼
Stop here,|| or gently pass! ◼
Alone she cuts and binds the grain, ◼
And sings a melancholy strain; ◼
O listen!|| for the Vale profound ∴
Is overflowing with the sound. ◼