Excerpt from Manly Anniversary Studies in Language and Literature
I include pauses marked by a semicolon or more, and of course exclude cases where the second half-line is complete in itself. In the three hundred and fifty lines Of Judith, there are some ninety such enjambements; as many in an equal portion Of Genesis, nearly as 'many in Elene and Beowulf, and many in the shorter narratives and the lyrics. Such lines are extremely rare in Laaamon, so rare in fact that it is Clear the poet avoided them. One chief function of his shorter epic formulas was as expletives to fill in a half-line for which he had no matter, that he might not be obliged to introduce a new theme. For this reason his second half-lines are apt to contain more rhythm and less meaning than in anglo-saxon. Clearly, one reason for Lagamon's formula habit was his desire to avoid enjambement.
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