Poetry Hacks

Ellipsis

What is it? Three dots in row (…); after a full stop, four dots.

What effect does it usually have? Like dashes, ellipses adds pauses or silences, conveying the idea that the speaker has trailed off, lost in thought. They often create a wistful, melancholic atmosphere. What else should I look out for? Used in essays to indicate that some of a quoted text has been cut out, in poems ellipsis also suggest that something is missing or not being expressed; it can portray the speaker as overwhelmed and therefore unable to express themselves fluently, or unable to find adequate words for what they are experiencing.

An example of how it works … ‘Sea Song’ by Katherine Mansfield:

I am old. I'm too cold. I am frightened ... the sea Is too loud ... it is lost, It is gone ...

Here the use of ellipsis slows the pace as we approach the last lines of the poem, creating a sinister air of mystery.

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