Polish Poetry in Translation 3301-JS2800

Polish Poetry in Translation is a course aimed at students with a strong interest in poetry and the practical issues that the art of translation presents, and who wish to develop their translation skills within the framework of a university course. The course's primary aims are to: a) provide a practical setting where a student can learn about the craft of translation b) enable students to establish a critical approach to both their own and those of others' translations. Each class a student will be expected to prepare a critical presentation on a given poet who has been translated into English. The student will also be required to make an assessment (comparative where possible) of the merits of the various translations in existence. Each presentation should last at least 15-20 minutes and will be followed by a group discussion on the numerous issues that arise from it. The student presentations must pay close attention to the translator's decisions in terms of style and faithfulness, and overall should present their pieces as if they were delivering a literary review. The second part of each class will deal with the practical issues of translating a poetic text into English. For this students will be given a piece to work on from the previous week and in a group setting will be expected to read their translations and explain their approach. This will then be followed by a group discussion. Throughout the course, there will be close and critical examination of the students' work, and students will have the opportunity to explore both cultural and literary contexts inherent in translation.
Students will be assessed on their presentations, which are to be developed into minor essays of approximately 1,500 words. They will also be expected to build a portfolio of their translation work, which should be accompanied with an auto-review of the student's work of approximately 500 words. Account will also be taken of a student's participation throughout the semester.