What effect does enjambment typically have on reader pacing?

What effect does enjambment typically have on reader pacing?

• A. It slows the reader down
• B. It causes a pause
• C. It prompts readers to hurry to the next line
• D. It signals a change in speaker

Answer: (C)

Enjambment moves the thought from one line into the next without a natural stop at the line’s end. Because there’s no punctuation signaling a complete thought at the break, the reader carries the sentence forward, creating momentum and a feeling of speed as you hurry to finish the line and reach the next. This push-forward contrasts with end-stopped lines, where a strong pause slows pacing. A change in speaker isn’t inherent to enjambment, since it’s about how a sentence runs across lines, not who is speaking.

Enjambment moves the thought from one line into the next without a natural stop at the line’s end. Because there’s no punctuation signaling a complete thought at the break, the reader carries the sentence forward, creating momentum and a feeling of speed as you hurry to finish the line and reach the next. This push-forward contrasts with end-stopped lines, where a strong pause slows pacing. A change in speaker isn’t inherent to enjambment, since it’s about how a sentence runs across lines, not who is speaking.