Localization and pauses duration in Russian iambic tetrameter in the poetry of A. S. Pushkin

Abstract

This article is a continuation of a study dedicated to the role of pauses in the prosodic structure of the Russian iambic tetrameter. New data on the localization and duration of the pauses in Alexander Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin,” as voiced by three speakers, corroborate previously identified patterns in the organization of poetic lines at the prosodic level. Pauses of varying durations, occurring with different frequencies at various junctures, emphasize the depth of the varying degree of internal division within a line. The method of multidimensional classification revealed five groups of pause durations, ranging from ultra-short to super-long. It was found that within a line, ultra-short and short pauses predominate, while longer pauses tend to occur more towards the middle and less towards the beginning. The absence or brevity of pauses near the end of a line highlights a more prolonged inter-line pause. Individual pause strategies manifest in the observance or omission of inter-line pauses, their duration, the frequency of prosodic breaks within a line, and the frequency of using pauses of a particular duration group. High correlation coefficients indicate a consistent use of pauses among the three speakers.