Final answer:
A line of poetry that concludes with a break in the meter and meaning often employs enjambment, where an idea stretches over multiple lines to create different effects in pace and interpretation. Understanding line breaks and enjambment can enhance the reading and understanding of poetry.
Step-by-step explanation:
A line of poetry that concludes with a break in the meter and in the meaning is commonly achieved through a technique called enjambment. This occurs when a line ends without a pause and without completing a sentence or clause, carrying over a thought into the next line. One of the effects of this technique is to propel the reader forward to complete the idea, increasing the pace of the poem. For example, in Bruce Snider's poem “Epitaph,” the word “alive” at the end of one line creates an expectation that shifts dramatically when the reader moves to the next line.
Poetry often uses line breaks as organizational tools, dictating how often and how long to pause, much like sheet music instructs a musician. Poets can also use end-stopped lines, where lines conclude with a syntactical break, and this is evident in the heroic couplets of 18th-century poetry. An understanding of when and why poets use these techniques can greatly enhance one’s interpretation of a poem.
When reading poetry aloud, like the oral art it is rooted in, lines act as instructions for pacing, emphasizing, and silence. Variation in line lengths can influence breath and hence the reading experience, with longer lines typically allowing for a more complex, flowing narrative and shorter lines often leading to a more jagged, breathless delivery of the poem’s content.