A STUDY OF THE TRANSLATIONS OF W. H. AUDEN WITH REFERENCE TO HIS ENGLISH IMAGE IN THE THIRTIES
MOHAMED SAIED AHMED ALI;
Abstract
The present thesis is an attempt to trace W.H. Auden's 'English image' in the thirties, as reflected in various versions of Arabic translations of his poetry. What I mean by his 'English image' is how 'the thirties Auden' has been viewed by English critics and how they sketched up their impressions on him. This 'English image' cannot appear clearly without a general examination of his poetry of the thirties in relation to the economic, social, and political circumstances prevalent at that period. Besides, this work includes an attempt to study the translations of that poetry of the thirties Auden. It is natural that Auden's poems selected for translation, and the way in which these poems were translated shape an 'image' of him in the mind of the Arab reader. Comparing this 'Arabic image' of Auden to the 'image' that had been established in England will lead, in my view, to a conclusion about whether or not the translations succeeded in conveying his original'image' to the Arab reader or not.
The complex circumstances of the thirties led to a state of angst and chaos in the individual's life. Being affected by this state, Auden's mind was occupied by many anxieties. This led him to be always unstable. This unstability made him busy in finding a solution for the present problems of human beings. Auden's insistence on achieving this goal led many critics to point out his great position in the modern English poetry. John Fuller, for example, says that he was "the greatest living poet writing in English"(l). Also, C.H. Sisson states that he was "a genuine literary phenomenon"(2). First, at the beginning of the decade, Auden found the solutions in Sigmund Freud's theories. Second, at the middle of the decade, he found better ones in Karl Marx's notions. At the end of the decade, he began converting to Christianity as a refuge where he hoped to find solutions for all problems. James Vision thinks that Auden's looking for a solution to the problem of his time caused him to change his "belief and attitude in the thirties, from a psychological to a quasi-Marxist orientation,... thence to Christianity at the end of the decade"(3). •
The complex circumstances of the thirties led to a state of angst and chaos in the individual's life. Being affected by this state, Auden's mind was occupied by many anxieties. This led him to be always unstable. This unstability made him busy in finding a solution for the present problems of human beings. Auden's insistence on achieving this goal led many critics to point out his great position in the modern English poetry. John Fuller, for example, says that he was "the greatest living poet writing in English"(l). Also, C.H. Sisson states that he was "a genuine literary phenomenon"(2). First, at the beginning of the decade, Auden found the solutions in Sigmund Freud's theories. Second, at the middle of the decade, he found better ones in Karl Marx's notions. At the end of the decade, he began converting to Christianity as a refuge where he hoped to find solutions for all problems. James Vision thinks that Auden's looking for a solution to the problem of his time caused him to change his "belief and attitude in the thirties, from a psychological to a quasi-Marxist orientation,... thence to Christianity at the end of the decade"(3). •
Other data
| Title | A STUDY OF THE TRANSLATIONS OF W. H. AUDEN WITH REFERENCE TO HIS ENGLISH IMAGE IN THE THIRTIES | Other Titles | لا يوجد | Authors | MOHAMED SAIED AHMED ALI | Issue Date | 1995 |
Attached Files
| File | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|
| B14233.pdf | 1.09 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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