The Significance of the Rhyme Scheme in Poetry Translation

Abstract

In poetry there is much focus on formal elements than one normally finds in prose. With regard to the translation of poetry, which has to be carried out with the intention of affecting the target audience in the same way that the original affects its first hearers, focus on both form and content is of paramount importance. However, it is generally believed that only rarely do both the content and the form of a poem are reproduced with equal focus in a translation, and that the formal elements are usually sacrificed for the content. This study, taking the above views as its basis, examines the significance of the formal element of the rhyme scheme in translating poetry. Data are collected by observing the manner in which the rhyme scheme has been negotiated in various poetry translations. According to the findings of this study, it is apparent that sacrificing the rhyme scheme is preferred by many translators as a way of making their task easier. However, this does not appear to be an always-go-to solution since there are poems in which the rhyme scheme plays an important role in reinforcing the content. On the other hand, despite the negative views on the reproduction of formal elements in a different language, it is perhaps an exaggeration to consider it an impossible task since there do exist poetry translations in which the exact rhyme scheme of the original has been maintained.