Specifically wanted to take the exploratory route of reconstructing meaning through sound,īecause of the fact that those who would be hearing the poem do not speak or understand As a native speaker, I felt that I was able to translate properly theĮmotion and tone of the poem through my intralingual translation and was eager to take on theĬhallenge of doing the same in an entirely different language. To do this through intralingual translation earlier in the semester, but had not made an attempt atĪn interlingual translation. The essence and the overall meaning of a poem is the most salient part of translation. I chose to doĪn interlingual translation because I tended to agree with Jakobson’s sentiment that a poemĬannot ever be perfectly translatable, but may still preserve its meaning. Word “woman” is not only found in the refrain of the original, but also in the title. Therefore, I made the decision to avoid this type of translation, as the In itself is entirely different from the word “woman.” These are separate words which are not Although using the word “girl” was a “clever” substitute, the word Most importantly, however, I was not able to capture the most crucial element of the In addition, I was unable toĬapture certain formal elements of the poem in terms of structure,including line and stanza Which I could use to describe the speaker was extremely low. Translation, the stanzas became extremely shortened, because the number of descriptor words “i.” I chose this letter so that I could use the word “girl” in place of “woman.” As I created this For the first translation, I created a Bok translation, only using the vowel Throughout the semester, we produced translations including the styles of Bok and Perec, I felt that an interlingual translation would be most appropriateīecause I felt that I would do the poem most justice if I would be able to capture its thematic
Order to see what English-speakers heard as they listened to the translation regardless of their Therefore, I wanted to make the presentation interactive, in Have been told, as heritage speaker in the United States, the Finnish sounds “harsh” or “angry.” Language does not distinguish between pronouns such as “he, him, she, her,” etc.
I was doubtfulīecause of the fact that, for example, Finnish is a gender neutral language, meaning that the I would actually be able to be successful in maintaining the theme and intention. I chose to translate the first two stanzas of “Phenomenal Woman” because I wanted to see if I wanted toĬapture Angelou’s intention as I interpreted it and also make it a priority to maintain the theme of pride a femininity through my interlingual translation. It wouldīe nearly impossible to capture certain formal poetic features of the poem such as alliterationīecause the literal translation would most likely not begin with the same letters. Translation if I focused on thematic and tonal elements, along with figurative language. Therefore, I decided that it would be the best Similarities in terms of grammar and vocabulary. Says that it is “the stride of step,” and “the curl of lips.” The speaker then continues to discuss the way her confidence and pride entices men, saying that they “swarm around, a hive of honey bees.” This is one of several metaphors which Angelou uses throughout the poem including, “it’s the fire in my eyes” and “the sun of my smile.” The use of personification and metaphors are specifically used to describe herself.īecause English is a Germanic language and Finnish is a Uralic language, they have very few That it is instead how a woman carries herself and uses the characteristics she was born with. Rather than the importance revolving around the physical characteristics of a woman, she shows So, she demonstrates that this idea of being a woman and feminine are extremely subjective. Instead, she gives these women a new definition of femininity, and as she does Immediately, the speaker begins toĭiscuss body image and how she is not “cute” or other assumptions of what the meaning ofįemininity are. Regardless of the fact that she does not fit into societal ideals. Her “secret” is referring to the mesmerizing charm she has The speaker begins by explaining “where secret
Society’s stereotypical and formulaic idea of what the quintessential woman should look and act
Maya Angelou’s poem, “Phenomenal Woman,” is about a woman who fights against I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.