If the periodically repeating structure of a poem, elegy, or poetic novel has exactly fourteen lines and one hundred and eighteen syllables, then it is that same Onegin stanza. This number of components is constant. Such a stanza is also organic in small poems, which are a sensual sketch of the plot. Both visually and intonationally, it can be divided into four parts, each of which is characterized by a certain rhyming method, which contributes to interest and helps to keep the reader's attention.
Onegin stanza is a certain form of poem. A.S. Pushkin created it on May 9, 1823 in order to translate the novel "Eugene Onegin" in poetry. This form can rightfully be called the golden stanza of Russian poetry.
The Onegin stanza is based on a skillful interweaving of three forms: an octave, a quatrain, and a Shakespearean sonnet. The change of male and female rhymes in it is constant and regular. Moreover, the first rhyme of the stanza is always female (w is the accent on the penultimate syllable), and the last rhyme is the masculine (m is the stress on the last syllable).
This stanza uses a complex, but very harmonious rhyme:
- the first quatrain is written using words with a closed syllable and a cross rhyme: A (W) - B (m) - A (W) - B (m);
- in the second quatrain, words with a closed syllable and a pair rhyme are used: C (f) - C (f); D (m) - D (m);
- in the third quatrain at the end of the line you can see words with an open syllable and a belted rhyme: E (f) - F (m) - F (m) - E (f);
- in the last two lines, where at the end of the word with a closed syllable, the rhyme is paired: G (m) - G (m).
It is interesting that such a sequence in Lafontaine’s poems was random in nature: he spontaneously “diluted” it with free rhymes, without accepting the constraint of predetermined frames. This is very reminiscent of the transformations that evolution is making in order to reveal a new kind of gem to the Earth. Such a manner of versification was characteristic of French poets of the 17-18 centuries who wrote ironic works of frivolous content.
The golden stanza is famous for its convenience in translating lyrical poetic ideas. She is especially well suited to lyrical poems and substantial elegy. Why was the Onegin stanza also used in the works of other famous poets?
This made it possible to reveal the event with a story in verse with the help of well-known
compositional tricks that are easy to arrange with this stanza. The unique structure allows you to apply any emotional tonality to the text, and the last two lines are ideal for conclusion.
Onegin stanza is a compositionally completed poem. The theme of the stanza is hidden in the first quatrain; in the second quatrain, an action develops; the third characterizes the climax; and the couplet at the end is a conclusion in the form of an aphorism. Such a composition is convenient for writing poems in which the form will be repeated many times, thereby prolonging the event line. Therefore, where there is lyrics and large volumes of the work, the Onegin stanza is often present there. This diversity in application gives reason to argue that the composition in it is harmonious and thorough.