Irregular stanzaic form in A.A. Grigoriev’s lyrics

The paper shows that Apollon Grigoryev’s lyrics is characterized by various deviations from the common stanza model. A typology of such deviations is suggested. They fall into three basic types. Type I, varying rhyme scheme, has several forms. In the first form, one or two stanzas do not fall in line with most others, which share a common structure. Stanza length is more often stable, but it may also vary. The graphic stanza break is not always present. In the second form, none of the stanza schemes is predominant; in addition, stanza length varies. Free rhyme may be viewed as the third form. In type II, metre varies, altering line length, anacrusis and adding hypercatalectic lines. In type III, rhyme scheme, stanza length and metre vary simultaneously. Perhaps Grigoryev associates this poetic device with heightened expression typical of his lyrics. At the same time, this feature of Grigoryev’s stanzaic form may be interpreted as one of the steps towards the renewal of Russian poetry in the Postromantic period.