catalexis
/kəˈtælɪksɪs/
noun
- The omission of one or more syllables at the end of a line of verse, resulting in an incomplete metrical foot.
- In English poetry, catalexis often occurs in trochaic meter, where the last foot is missing a syllable.
- The poem's final line exhibits catalexis, cutting off a syllable for dramatic effect.
- The teacher explained catalexis by showing how a line can end abruptly instead of completing the expected rhythm.
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