Les Fleurs: Translating Mallarmé’s Poem for Inspiration
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Authors
Melton, Trey
Date of Issue
2025-04-25
Type
Presentation
Language
en_US
Subject Keywords
Other Titles
Abstract
Stéphane Mallarmé is one of the most celebrated French poets of the 19th century. Recognized for his complex syntax, obscure imagery, and his pioneering of concrete poetry and Symbolism, Mallarmé’s poetry is as well known for its difficulty as its beauty. Les Fleurs, one of his more descriptive and easily understood poems, offers a gateway to his more inaccessible works, especially for someone whose first language is not French. Henry Weinfield, who wrote perhaps the most famous English translation of Les Fleurs, adheres somewhat to the form of the poem; however, his translation relies on slant rhymes in English where there are true rhymes in French and breaks at times from the original alexandrine meter. The proposed translation will endeavor to respect these elements (rhyme and meter) while preserving the beauty of the poem’s language (meaning and imagery). To remain as faithful to the original work as possible, it will be translated literally in an initial draft, without any poetic elements. These elements (sound, flow, figures of speech, etc.) will then be added and adjusted one at a time in subsequent drafts. When the translation of Les Fleurs is finished, I will apply the same process and principles from this experience to inspire a translation of one of my own poems into French, taking into account how differences in language and culture will affect the meaning and form. Ultimately, collecting my findings, I will acquire a greater understanding and appreciation of poetry in both languages to share academically and artistically with others.