A Sociological Approach to Poetry Translation

This book offers a groundbreaking approach to poetry translation by shifting the focus from close textual analysis to the broader social contexts that shape translation practices. Drawing on extensive data from national library catalogs and WorldCat, the author examines how poet-translators across English, French, and Italian literary traditions navigate cultural exchange. The comparative framework reveals how translation choices reflect not just linguistic skill but complex sociological factors including national literary markets and institutional recognition.

What makes this study particularly valuable is its empirical foundation, moving beyond theoretical speculation to document actual translation patterns across multiple languages. Literature students and translation scholars will appreciate how it connects individual creative decisions to larger cultural systems, while aspiring translators will gain insight into the unspoken professional dynamics of their field. The book ultimately demonstrates why understanding poetry translation requires looking beyond the page to the social worlds that make cross-cultural literary exchange possible.