Writing Focus: Enjambment

There are several very important techniques that a poet can use to make his or her work more appealing to audiences. One of these clever little tricks is enjambment, an extremely simple and effective way of structuring stanzas. In this week’s Writing Focus, we’ll be learning all about enjambment!

What Is Enjambment?

Enjambment is the name given to using lines that are incomplete. These lines lead into one another and create a complete sentence or thought when running into the next line. Punctuation is often left out of these lines, as the aim is to create incomplete syntax in one line which is resolved in the next. This technique has been used countless times in the past by both poets and playwrights alike. A famous example can be found in William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale:

“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 honorable grief lodged here which burns

Worse than tears drown….”

As you can see above, the first line has an incomplete sentence, which is continued on as the reader follows the speech down.

Tips

Enjambment can be used throughout, or it can be used on singular lines. There are absolutely no rules to whether you write an entire poem using enjambment or whether you just use it to emphasize a particular thought, so go wild!

The main reason that many use enjambment is to keep the readers reading. Using enjambment creates a temporary tension, which is then resolved in the next few lines. This can be a fantastic way of hooking readers in to the very end of your poem.

Prompts

Looking for ways to use enjambment within your poems? Check out these prompts to help you along the way!

1. Write a verse poem where only the first line of each stanza uses enjambment.
2. Create a poem that tells the story of a crime, using enjambment to build up the tension throughout.

If you’re a poet and you want to try out something new within your writing, then why not include enjambment in some of your poems? It’ll keep the readers hooked until the very end!

Special thanks to Audrey T and silent hearts. for editing!