How to *perfect* your line breaks

A 6-part guide

When you start a new hobby, there’s usually one skill you aspire to master. In skateboarding, it’s the perfect ollie. In crocheting, it’s the just right amount of tension that creates even stitches.

Five years ago, when I started seriously writing poetry, I wanted to master the line break.

I was mainly breaking my lines with the “return” key—whenever my right pinky felt the itch to tap it. Lol. (And I had a blast doing it, don’t get me wrong.)

If this is you currently, rest assured it is just as much fun to intentionally break your lines as it is to wing it. (Maybe even more.)

As I continued to read more poetry, I knew when I saw a great line break in a poem, but I couldn’t articulate exactly why it worked—or figure out how to recreate it.

What I’ve learned since is that there’s no single "right" way to break a line in poetry. There are only different effects that line breaks can produce. The line does not function independently of syntax, tone, pacing, and other craft elements. Understanding these effects has been key to developing my poetic craft.

Here are many of the types of line breaks I’ve discovered along the way. (Basically, I’m going to tell you everything I wish I knew five years ago.)

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Try These Six Different Line Breaks

(The Sensible, The Discrete, The Gasping, The Double-Meaning, The No-Punctuation, and the Painful Line Break)

The Sensible Line Break

This is the workhorse of poetry. Sensible line breaks follow the natural rhythm of a sentence or phrase. They fall at expected pauses—after commas, at the end of clauses, or just before a new idea begins. Oftentimes, the lines are end-stopped, meaning they end with punctuation. There is very soft enjambment, if any. These line breaks get the job done. They’re clear, functional, and unobtrusive. No one’s mad.

Aimless Love by Billy Collins uses sensible line breaks throughout the poems.

What is the effect? A rhythmic poem. A balanced poem. A safe poem. A reassuring poem. A satisfying poem.

What do we give up? Surprise. Desire. Mystery. Intrigue.

What subject matter might lend itself to a poem with sensible line breaks? A calm poem. A “taking my time” poem. A soft lullaby. A dancing poem. A nature poem.

Quick prompt: Challenge yourself to write a poem where every line is end-stopped with a period, a comma, an em dash, or a semi-colon.