Clausula

The clausula is the concluding part of a verse line, beginning with the last stressed syllable; it is precisely the clausula that determines the character of the rhyme. By the number of syllables after the last stress, clausulae are distinguished as masculine (stress on the final syllable), feminine (penultimate), dactylic (third from the end) and hyperdactylic (fourth and beyond). The alternation of different clausulae within a stanza creates its rhythmic pattern and affects the intonational completeness of the lines. A clausula may also be unrhymed (in blank verse), but even then its syllabic structure matters for rhythm. The concept of the clausula is key in describing rhyme, since the type of rhyme depends directly on the structure of the endings of the consonant lines.