Poetic Cycles and Information Beyond the Micro-Level of Words: On the Translations of Joseph Brodsky's Cycle A Part of Speech Into English and Latvian

Jānis Veckrācis

doi:10.18778/1731-7533.19.3.02

Authors

Jānis Veckrācis Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, Ventspils, Latvia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1731-7533.19.3.02

Keywords:

poetic cycle, poetry translation, microscopic approach, macroscopic approach

Abstract

A poetic cycle is a specific case of poetic contextualisation and for translators this means additional efforts in identifying the micro- and macro-level network of functional and semantic links. Joseph Brodsky’s cycle A Part of Speech represents a highly conceptual approach and strong integration of each and every poem. In this context the paper briefly outlines different types of micro- and macroscopic approaches to poetry translation. Further practical analysis of some translation issues observed in the respective English and Latvian translations show that decisions of poetry translators are informed by different backgrounds in the author-text-reader relationships. Artistic creativity is certainly present in the translation activity but this does not mean that a completely independent target text is produced.

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