Article
the what, the how, and the why
Poetry in translation
May 18, 2014
In ‘A trick worthy of Houdini’, three translators explain why poetry translation takes a poet (and a little bit of magic) to pull off. In ‘The high road and the side roads’, translator and linguist Rami Saari emhpasises the importance of ‘affinity’ in translation; especially where poetry is concerned. In ‘Can translated poetry matter?’, Sarah Dudek describes the translator as a ‘cultural and linguistic mediator’, who needs to be in touch with the cultures of both the source language and the target language. Finally, in ‘Poetry on the internet’, written especially for the launch of Poetry International Web in 2002, poet and former executive director of the Academy of American Poets William Wadsworth explains why digital poetry is the solution to the isolationist poetry practices in the United States (and the rest of the Western world).
If these articles pique your interest, you my want to consider participating in In Other Words 2014, Poetry International’s festival-linked poetry translation project. Participation is free, and who knows – you may discover aspects of poetry you never thought possible.
Speech bubble image via Shutterstock
Poetry International would not exist without the work of hundreds of translators, and in the run-up to our June festival we wanted to take some time to consider what that means. Poetry translation is a complex art, and requires the translator to take numerous cultural and political variables into consideration.
Over the next two weeks we'll be taking you on a tour through the ins and outs of poetry translation. This week we have a selection of articles from our earliest archives, which speak to Poetry International's deepest foundations.In ‘A trick worthy of Houdini’, three translators explain why poetry translation takes a poet (and a little bit of magic) to pull off. In ‘The high road and the side roads’, translator and linguist Rami Saari emhpasises the importance of ‘affinity’ in translation; especially where poetry is concerned. In ‘Can translated poetry matter?’, Sarah Dudek describes the translator as a ‘cultural and linguistic mediator’, who needs to be in touch with the cultures of both the source language and the target language. Finally, in ‘Poetry on the internet’, written especially for the launch of Poetry International Web in 2002, poet and former executive director of the Academy of American Poets William Wadsworth explains why digital poetry is the solution to the isolationist poetry practices in the United States (and the rest of the Western world).
If these articles pique your interest, you my want to consider participating in In Other Words 2014, Poetry International’s festival-linked poetry translation project. Participation is free, and who knows – you may discover aspects of poetry you never thought possible.
Speech bubble image via Shutterstock
© Megen Molé
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