Towards a Model for the Analysis of ‘Translation Poetics’

Abstract

Poetics is one of the concepts of literary studies which has been applied by translation studies theorists and scholars and its definition can be considered as a working tool for translation studies researchers. In this regard, this study, as a meta-analysis, attempts to critically review 62 studies which untitled poetics of translation in order to find out an operational definition for this concept in a theoretical framework. The findings show that most of the reviewed studies have used the concept of poetics for the investigation of different issues like 'history of poetry translation’, 'literary history', 'author or translator's style’, etc. without giving any clear definition for this concept in their research framework. Notwithstanding studies done by Popovič (1968/1971), Lefevere (1992) and Barnstone (1993) have used an operational definition for (translation) poetics. In spite of their shortcomings, their application of key tenants of these studies together could allow researchers of the present study to refine the concept of poetics, classify it in two forms of ‘poetics proper' and ‘translation poetics’, shed light on their relationship, revisit poetics as ‘translation poetics’ in the historical context of translation and finally develop a tentative model for the analysis of this concept. Through such a model, the role of translation in the establishment of ‘poetics proper’ and ‘translation poetics’ is determined.