What are perfect rhymes? Historical digression

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Exact rhyme is a match of the quality and quantity of post-stressed vowels and consonants. The more matching sounds, the higher the accuracy. So, for example, such options as “bowl - low”, “street-chicken”, “run - breathe”, etc. are accurate. A rhyme is considered sufficient if there is a coincidence of two or more sounds. The coincidence of one vowel sound is not sufficient. So, the pair "she is the soul" is not a rhyme, but "she is the moon" is.

Inexact rhyme occurs when one (sometimes two) sounds coincide. It is characterized by differences in sounding consonants found in unstressed syllables at the end of lines. Inaccurate rhymes in a poem can be much more than accurate. This is not a shortcoming of the composition - rather the opposite, since inaccurate rhymes greatly decorate the syllable, make it more diverse: “on the roof - I hear”, “evening - shoulders”, etc.

Phonetic and graphical accuracy

Phonetically accurate rhymeimplies matching from a stressed vowel to the end of the verse.

Graphically accurate rhyme is considered when, in addition to sounds, there is a coincidence of letters.

For example, the rhyme "breeze - rice" is only phonetically accurate, while the rhyme "breeze - prize" or "breeze - caprice" is accurate in both senses.

Rich rhyme

This form takes place if there is a coincidence of the pre-stressed (reference) consonant sound. Male rhymes are considered rich (emphasis on the last syllable): “water is mica”, “you are the Neva”; unlike female ones (emphasis on the penultimate syllable): “water - freedom”, “word - again”.

Exact rhymes in the poetry of Russian classicism

Russian literary classicism was developed in the XVIII-beginning. 19th century and was distinguished by high themes, rigor of style and the creation of certain ideal images. G. R. Derzhavin, A. P. Sumarokov, M. V. Lomonosov and D. I. Fonvizin were prominent representatives of this trend. What are exact rhymes in the classical poetic tradition? Starting from the poetry of A. D. Kantemir and until the early work of G. R. Derzhavin (XVIII century), Russian poetry was distinguished by graphically accurate rhymes:

Like the current time will not be

Saints and heroes; that people are cold

Barber-shave and all Busurman disposition, Don't walk in the old fathers tradition right"

(A. D. Kantemir "To the state of this world. Towards the sun").

Some liberties were sometimes allowed, but more as an exception. However, already late Derzhavin (beginning of the 19th century) violates the traditions of rhymingclassic period:

God! give the king Your judgment

And the truth to the king's son, Yes people will be served

And protection and reward.

(G. R. Derzhavin "The Introduction of Solomon into the Judgment Seat", 1979).

Another example:

With this verb the abysses trembled, Through the abyss of the underground

From the fiery bed of his rest"

(G. R. Derzhavin "The Healing of Saul", 1809).

What are exact rhymes in this example? We see the predominance of phonetically accurate rhyme over graphic, while there is also a lack of rhyme: “the abyss is underground” and “truth is a reward”. Derzhavin acts as a certain innovator of the poetic style, departing from the classical understanding of rhyme. At the same time, the poet's style, although distinguished by a peculiar cumbersomeness, nevertheless becomes deeper and more original than that of Derzhavin's predecessors.

19th century poetic traditions

Russian poetry of the 19th century does not support Derzhavin's liberties and continues to adhere to the traditions of classicism, clearly defining what exact rhymes are. Nevertheless, at the beginning of the century, V. A. Zhukovsky and A. S. Pushkin allow a certain poetic freedom - some minor deviations from the exact end harmonies. For example, due to the truncation of the final sound "th": "Eugene - shadows", "tribute - applause"; by rhyming the final sounds "g-x": "friend - spirit", etc.

The second half of the 19th century is characterized by less strictness in terms of the accuracy of rhyme. For example, allowedconsonances of the sounds “u” and “s”: “badly - I will”, “halls - scarlet” (N. A. Nekrasov, A. A. Fet); consonances of homogeneous voiced and deaf sounds: “oversight - caution” (N. A. Nekrasov), etc.

Poetry of the 20th century

At the beginning of the 20th century, a new trend in poetry emerged - the rhyming of different parts of speech. There is also a change in the meter of versification over individual short-sized poetic fragments. In turn, inaccurate rhyme is becoming more and more popular: “rays - to tame” (A. A. Akhmatova), “wind - in the world” (A. A. Blok). What are exact rhymes for Silver Age poetry? During this period, numerous new forms of rhymes are born - multi-stressed, multi-word and dissonant.

Despite the fact that these innovations, on the one hand, significantly enriched Russian poetic thought, on the other hand, it could lead to serious literary chaos. As an organizing compensation, a rich exact rhyme to the word (in the spirit of the traditions of the Sumarokov poetic school), the revival of which took place in the twentieth century, acted as an organizing compensation.

In modern versification, any rhyme - exact and inexact equally - can be appropriate for a particular poetic work. There is no longer an unambiguous assessment of preference for one of these forms in poetry.