Translating Poetry - Danielle

R. Pulver describes translation as a process where "you absorb the poem and assimilate it in a process that can only be described as 'organic.' Then, to mix metaphors, you drag it through a wormhole into another universe, one controlled by the laws of your own language." Pulver emphasizes the importance of translating feeling rather than exact language. Even without nuance and figurative techniques in poetry, the perfect transfer of a message from one language to another would not be realistic. Similarly, J. Beichman claims "the aim of translation is not to produce a clone, but rather to evoke a sense of difference." Beichman believes that translating the work perfectly would be doing a disservice to the author. I fully agree with the idea that a translation should not be an exact replica of the original; it is nearly impossible to simultaneously recreate the exact emotions while also translating completely literally. R. Pulver's later claim that "distancing yourself from the syntax of the original may be the way to get closest to that original" encompasses the ideas expressed by both authors. It is already difficult enough to write a poem with evokes the emotion and sends the same message that the author envisions. Thinking that you might be able to put yourself in the place of the author and deliver their exact message in another language would be a laughable and fruitless endeavor.