In order to fully understand the meaning of the term caesura, it is necessary that we previously discover what its etymological origin is. In this case, we can point out that it is a word that derives from Latin, exactly from “caesura”, which means “cut” and that is used to refer to the pauses that take place inside a verse.
Specifically, that word was formed with the sum of these two:
-The supine “caesum”, from the verb “caedere”, which is synonymous with “cut”.
-The suffix “-ura”, which is used to indicate “action” or “activity”.
According to DigoPaul, the concept is used in the field of poetry to refer to a pause that is established in a verse to separate the metric accents that regulate its harmony.
This interruption separates the hemistichs, which are two parts of the verse. The meter considers these fragments as whole verses, each separated from the other by the caesura that represents a cut in the intonation.
In some verses, there is more than one caesura and, therefore, more than two hemistichs. Since the end of the hemistich is considered as the end of a verse, a metric syllable is added to it when the last word is acute and a metric syllable is removed if said term is esdrújulo. When the final word is serious, it remains the same.
The caesura, in short, supposes a fracture within a sentence. Divided parts can be distinguished from one another, even though they are intrinsically linked. The purpose of the caesura is to establish a dramatic pause that allows you to play with the emotions.
It should be noted that the caesura is usually established with punctuation marks. They are generally used in verses that have nine or more syllables (called verses of major art). Anyway, it is possible to find caesuras in verses with fewer syllables (verses of minor art).
In certain cases, the rhythmic performance of the caesura may vary. There are verses, in this frame, that can be read with or without caesura.
Within the musical field, the term that concerns us also takes a lot of prominence. Specifically, it is used to refer to that pause that is made inside a verse to be able to take a breath, highlight an accent or even soften the verse. What’s more, it can also be used with the idea of adjusting the metric or achieving the perfect beat or melody.
It must be established that it basically consists of dividing the words, but since they have such an important link they do not suffer any kind of separation.
Furthermore, it is established that both caesura and half caesura are discussed in this field.
Within the saga “Chronicle of the murderer of kings”, written by Patrick Rothfuss, the term at hand is also used. In his case, Cesura comes to be the name of a sword that is known, in the same way, as “the killer of poets.”
