Unstressed Pentasyllabic Intervals in B. L. Pasternak’s Lyrical Poetry

Abstract

This article analyses all the occurrences of unstressed pentasyllabic intervals in Boris Pasternak’s lyric poetry. Such intervals appear in trisyllabic meters when a single unstressed syllable is in ictic position, or when two sequential unstressed icti appear in an iambic or trochaic line. The abundance of such rhythmic phenomena is typical for Pasternak’s poetry. An analysis of associated morphological and syntactic patterns helps to further clarify the rhythmic and syntactic solutions that define Pasternak’s poetic style.