The semantic halo of the sacred in the four-foot amphibrach: mechanisms of cultural memory in the poetry of Olga Sedakova

The majority of studies on the metrical aspects of Olga Sedakova’s poetry focus on the formal elements of versification, rarely exploring the substantive possibilities of the chosen metres. This paper fills this gap by analyzing the unified narrative of the four foot amphibrach, tracing its development in Russian poetry from V.A. Zhukovsky to O.A. Sedakova. At the core of the study is Sedakova’s philological work, ‘Four Foot Amphibrach or Pasternak’s “Miracle” in the Poetic Tradition’, where she examines the evolution of this metre and its semantic potential, alongside her own poetic texts composed in this metre. Particular attention is given to identifying the themes and motifs characteristic of one line of the fourfoot amphibrach, provisionally termed “religious”. This line, originating in the works of Zhukovsky and Pushkin, is associated with motifs of miracle, resurrection, thirst, and spiritual transformation. Through specific examples from Sedakova’s cycle Azarovka and other poems, the study demonstrates how the poet consciously develops this tradition, enriching it with evangelical allusions, liturgical imagery, and philosophical reflection. At the same time, Sedakova diverges from other traditions of the amphibrach present in the works of the same authors she analyzes (e.g., Pushkin and Pasternak). The paper illustrates how the choice of metre serves as a tool of cultural memory for Sedakova, enabling her to inscribe her poetry within the tradition of Russian literature. The study draws on the works of M.L. Gasparov, K.F. Taranovsky, and other theorists of verse, highlighting Sedakova’s contribution to the understanding of the semantic halo of metre both as a poet and as a philologist.