How does a caesura divide a line of Old English poetry?

In Old English poetry, the caesura functions as a formal structural device rather than merely a rhetorical pause. It divides each line centrally into two distinct half-lines.1

This division is a hallmark of the alliterative verse tradition, such as that found in the Old English poem “The Battle of Maldon”. By splitting the line into two balanced segments, the caesura helps organize the rhythm and alliterative patterns characteristic of the period's literary style.1