Predicative use of the comparative in the poetry by A. A. Akhmatova

The author of the article makes an attempt to reveal how linguistic characteristics of the poetry by A. A. Akhmatova are interconnected with the basic ideological views of acmeists, including the requirement of attention to material details and the requirement of logicality. Quantitative data are provided on the use of comparatives in the function of the predicate (a nominal part of the compound nominal predicate) with the linking verb to be or a zero link-verb, which was aimed at creating a clear and logical syntactical structure in A. A. Akhmatova's poetry. Based on a wide range of examples, the linking verb to be is shown to be usually used: a) in two-member sentences of three-component (more frequently) and two-component (less frequently) constructions of the comparison; b) in the form of the indicative mood of the past tense singular: feminine in constructions where the subject of comparison is "I'm a poetess", "I'm a lyrical heroine" (usually), masculine - when the subject of comparison nominates the lyrical hero. It has been revealed that the poet often uses the zero link-verb in two-member sentences, without giving preference to three- or two-component comparative constructions, using them even with the same subject of comparison. In comparative constructions with a zero link-verb, various subjects of comparison are denoted by nouns, nominating a lyrical character, parts of his body, naturfacts and artifacts, and an abstract concept. The most frequent subject of comparison is a personal pronoun in the form of the 1st person singular, used by A. A. Akhmatova to achieve acmeistic realism in expressing her feelings and emotions by means of depicting everyday life. The author comes to the conclusion that comparative constructions with a zero link-verb are most frequently determined in the poetry of A. A. Akhmatova by the perception of the world "in the totality of its beauty and ugliness", "here", "in Russian modernity". The research results may be interesting for specialists studying literature and exploring the works by A. A. Akhmatova as well as the Silver Age poetry. The results obtained can be applied in compiling a dictionary of the poet.