Translating Anglo-Saxon poetry: Foreignized translations of The seafarer and The wanderer

Abstract

Few scholars argue that medieval literature retains the same prestige today it once held as the foundation of almost every school's English literature/language department. One reason for this fall could be the lack of proper integration of newer literary approaches into the field. Why, despite the recent swell in the use of more contemporary schools of theory-Marxism, feminism, and deconstructionism, for example-do many medieval scholars still endorse traditional strategies of historical and empirical analysis? Focusing on the translation methodology of foreignization, I present Ezra Pound's translation of the Anglo-Saxon poem "The Seafarer" and my translation of "The Wanderer." Both serve as examples of how proper application of non-traditional translation strategies can help rejuvenate a literature and culture. Together, they help show that translation studies is an emerging discipline that furnishes scholars, educators, and students with unique viewpoints on medieval texts that allow the field to develop in scope and complexity while still remaining practical and grounded firmly in the world of texts and cultures.

Date of Award	2009
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	Eastern Illinois University
Supervisor	Charles C. Wharram (Supervisor)