Poetry Factors and Poetical Translation

This book explores the core elements of poetry, the distinctive features of children’s poetry, and the fundamental principles of poetic translation, drawing on a wealth of Chinese and Western poetic texts.

In terms of poetry construction, the book identifies five essential factors: novel and appropriate imagery (exemplified by the unique imagery in the works of Emily Dickinson and Li Qingzhao), strong musicality (manifested in rhythm and rhyme in both English and Chinese poetry), inspiration (regarded as a spiritual driving force for poetic creation), accessibility to readers (emphasizing clarity and avoidance of obscurity), and the eulogy of truth, goodness, and beauty (analyzed through Shakespeare’s sonnets and Dickinson’s poems, which praise noble virtues and criticize falsehood and ugliness).

For children’s poetry, the book outlines eight key constructing factors by analyzing Robert Louis Stevenson’s 'A Child’s Garden of Verses': unique and rich imagination, moral elevation, alignment with children’s characteristics and tastes, beautiful rhythm and rhyme, plain colloquial language, clear and intuitive imagery, innocent and beautiful artistic conception, and adoption of a nationalized form. These elements collectively create works that resonate with children and nurture their sentiments.

Regarding poetic translation, the book proposes three core principles based on the theories and practices of scholars: translating poetry with poetry (preserving the original’s artistic conception, musicality, and poetic flavor), taking a nationalized approach (adapting to the target language’s poetic traditions while retaining the source text’s cultural essence), and conveying both essence and meaning (balancing accurate transmission of content with the expression of the original’s connotations and spirit).

Overall, the book emphasizes that excellent poetry, whether for adults or children, relies on specific constructing elements, and poetic translation requires adhering to appropriate principles to achieve effective cross-cultural communication of poetic art.