RUSSIAN TROCHAIC TETRAMETER: RHYTHM — LANGUAGE — THE PROBLEM OF TYPOLOGY

Russian trochaic tetrameter is “paeonichen” according to linguistic potentialities. This, however, can not prevent the poet to diversify rhythmic repertoire of the metre. In the XX century desire for rhythmic heterogeneity russian trochaic tetrameter has led to a kind of “rhythmic polarization”. Some samples of this metre maintained as before (XVIII XIX centuries): in the traditional form approaching to the language norms (with limitations); but other poems give an example of hexasyllabic inertia (Бéженскăя мŏстовáя…). The article analyzes trochaic tetrameter of Tsvetaeva, under-confirm this thesis. Other examples are also considered. In addition, observations made over trochaic verse given the opportunity to once again demonstrate the fictitious nature of the two so-called laws of verse: “law of accent stabilization of second/third strong syllable in line” and “law of regressive accent dissimilation”. One more significantly important conclusion: average data insufficient in the analysis of poetic rhythm; rhythmic originality of individual poems is not usually manifested by averaged data of conventional type. The second part of the article is devoted to the problem of frequent lack of accent on the penultimate foot of trochaic tetrameter. Trochee just show the fallacy of the statement about the trend towards artificial resultant relief of the penultimate foot of line “by contrast with the final accent constant”. This conclusion confirms once again the importance of detailed analysis of language trends of the verse, and such analysis should precede the study of the actual rhythmic structure of poem.