What is enjambment as a poetic technique and how should I talk about it in an exam?

With poetry, I always write something with my students which I refer to as a 'poetry bible'. This is a long list of poetic techniques, with examples, and the effects they often have.
Enjambment is when the meaning of a line runs on from one line to the next, with no punctuation. It's literally taken from the french word 'enjambment' which means 'to step over' or 'to put legs across'.
Things to look out for with enjambmentplacement: is the meaning running over two lines within a stanza, or between two stanzas? If between two stanzas then this moves away from any traditional, measured and formulaic rhythm, and could serve to link two core ideas of each stanzameaning/content of the line that's running over: is the line about constant motion, are there any ideas of flowing, lengthiness or extending? If so, the enjambment works to facilitate and highlight thistry reading it aloud: often, the lack of punctuation makes it hard for a reader to 'take a breath'. This can create a rushed, stressful tone which reflects on the meaning of the poem.

I would then provide my student with three or four examples of enjambment with different effects, discuss each and get the student to write a short paragraph analysing the poetic technique

Answered by Imogen S. English tutor

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