Poetry and translation: about 'presence'

Abstract

The first part of this work is dedicated to Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht´s notion of presence. Presence is related to the material and bodily aspect of an aesthetic object. We have tried to bring this concept into a discussion about poetry and translation by means of a criticism of readings aimed only at fi nding meanings and interpreting the poems. Taking as a starting point the assumption that in poetry there is somewhat presence, it is necessary therefore to translate not only its meaning, but also its rhythm, its music, its rhymes, in other words, everything that constitutes a poem. We have also brought into this discussion a reading of Paul Zumthor with the aim of better elaborating the question of performance in poetry. After that, in a deeper elaboration of the relations between sound and meaning, Roman Jakobson´s thought on the poetic function is also discussed. As a conclusion we have brought Haroldo de Campos´ thought on translation in a perspective that, once more, emphasizes the material aspect of the poem. Keywords: Poetry. Translation. Presence. Effects of presence. Effects of meaning.