Forms: 6 cesure, 7 ceasure, 8–9 cæsure, 6– cæsura. [a. L. cæsūra ‘cutting, metrical pause,’ f. cæs- ppl. stem of cædĕre to cut. The earlier form was immediately from French césure. (Some writers appear to have erroneously associated it with cease.)]
1. In Greek and Latin prosody: The division of a metrical foot between two words, especially in certain recognized places near the middle of the line.
In Dactylic Hexameter and Iambic Trimeter this usually occurs in the third foot (penthemimeral cæsura), but there may be subsidiary cæsuras as well; in the line Tityre | tu patu | -læ recu | -bans sub | tegmine | fagi, the main (penthemimeral) cæsura is after -læ, and there are subsidiary ones after tu and -ans.
[1573. Cooper, Thesaurus, Cæsura … a peece of a sentence or verse.]
1727–51. Chambers, Cycl., Cæsura more properly denotes a certain and agreeable division of the words, between the feet of a verse; whereby the last syllable of a word becomes the first of a foot.
1871. Roby, Lat. Gram., I. 96. Occasionally … a short final closed syllable is lengthened by the arsis … this is chiefly in the cæsura.
1876. Kennedy, Public Sch. Lat. Gram., § 260. This verse of Lucretius, Auges | -cunt ali | -æ gen | -tes ali | -æ minu | -untur, in which are four strong cæsuras, is faulty.
1884. Monro, Homer’s Iliad, Introd. § 50. The third foot must not end with a word … such a break in the middle of the line is prevented by a Cæsura.
b. Used for the lengthening of the last syllable of a word by arsis which sometimes occurs in the cæsura.
1678. Phillips, Cæsura, an accident belonging to the scanning of a Latin Verse, as when after a compleat foot a short syllable ends the Verse, that syllable is made long, as in this Verse of Virgil: Ille latus niveum molli fultus hyacintho.
1755. Johnson, Cæsura, a figure in poetry, by which a short syllable after a complete foot is made long.
2. In English prosody: A pause or breathing-place about the middle of a metrical line, generally indicated by a pause in the sense.
1556. Abp. Parker, Psalter, A ij. Obserue the trayne: the ceasure marke, To rest with note in close.
1581. Sidney, Def. Poesie (1622), 529. The Cæsura, or breathing place in the midst of the verse.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie (Arb.), 89. Such Cesure must neuer be made in the middest of any word, if it be well appointed.
1603. Drayton, Odes, II. 40. That ev’ry lively Ceasure Shall tread a perfect Measure.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., Caesure, in the modern poetry denotes a rest or pause towards the middle of a long Alexandrine verse.
1841. D’Israeli, Amen. Lit. (1867), 170. In the most ancient manuscripts of Chaucer’s works the cæsura in every line is carefully noted.
3. transf. a. A formal break or stop. b. A break, interruption, interval.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., II. x. 68. There abruptly it [a chronicle] did end, Without full point, or other Cesure right.
1846. D. W. Pughe, Harlech Castle, 23. Ridge … extends with a few cæsures for nearly 22 miles.
