Enjambment: A poetic device

The Write Stuff

I need to know “Enjambment!” Enjambment is

when a sentence “runs over” into the next line in poetry.

Think of a traffic jam.

When reading, look for…

Punctuation (periods, question marks) in the MIDDLE of a line.

No punctuation at the end.

Beware of commas.

Example:Don't Ask me. Love, for that First Love.

Mimi Khalvati

 Don't think I haven't changed. Who saidabsence makes the heart grow fonder?Though I watch the sunset reddenevery day, days don't grow longer.

There are many kinds of silence,none more radiant than the sun's.Sun is silent in our presence,unlike love, silent when it's gone.

I thought that every spring was you,every blossom, every bud;that summer had little to dobut follow, singing in my blood.

How wrong I was. What had summerto do with sorrow in full spate?Every rosebush, every flowerI passed, stood at a stranger's gate.

Example: No enjambmentNew tech is great!I won’t be late.Or else I’ll need a pass.To get into class.Miss Coleman will lock me out.Dude, what’s that about?I feel so DEAD.Math hurts my head.I totally hate Kelly Green.Whoever made these shirts is mean.But I’m still happy I’m on the team.

What is the difference in the sound and feeling of the poem?

We Real CoolBy Gwendolyn Brooks 

We real cool. WeLeft school. WeLurk late. WeStrike straight. WeSing sin. WeThin gin. We Jazz June. WeDie soon.

1) Circle the punctuation

marks that show

enjambment.

2) How many times is

enjambment used?

3) What effect does the

enjambment have on the

poem?

4) How does it make you feel?

How does it make it

sound?

(You may want to re-read

the poem a few times to

yourself.)

We Real CoolBy Gwendolyn Brooks 

We real cool. WeLeft school. WeLurk late. WeStrike straight. WeSing sin. WeThin gin. We Jazz June. WeDie soon.