A caesura is a pause in a line of poetry that is generally denoted by some type of punctuation, such as a period, comma, ellipsis, or dash. A caesura does not have to fall exactly in the midst of a line of poetry. It can be put after the first word of a line or before the last word. Many poems have more than one caesura. Ceasures are important for many reasons. Usually, when reading poetry aloud, only the poet can insert a caesura. This gives the audience time to absorb the meaning of the poem and allows them to breathe without speaking too quickly. Without a caesura, people would have no choice but to read at a rate of speed that would be incomprehensible to most listeners. In addition to being expressive, caesuras also define poetic lines. If a poet wants to emphasize a particular word or phrase, he will usually do so by repeating it either within the same verse or across verses. The caesura is where these words or phrases become noticeable to the reader/listener. Finally, caesuras help connect the mind of the reader/listener to the soul of the poet. Often, poets will use alliteration, assonance, and consonance to make their poems more enjoyable to read. These types of devices are very effective if they aren't overused or used together too frequently.