The poetry of Ernesto Flores Flores: an essay on translation

Abstract

This essay is an exercise in the art of translating poetry. The study begins by examining the poetic theories that have formed what is now loosely called Modernism, and how these poetic theories are related to the translation of poetry. The second chapter presents the Pazian view that there is no French literature, no English literature, no Mexican literature only literary movements, and how literary movements are translinguistic. This chapter also examines the Spanish-speaking poetry that has become internationally known because of translations, and the theory that the poets of the continent of America write a poetry that is continental in scope. The third chapter presents some specific problems in translating a contemporary poet from Spanish to English. Ernesto Flores Flores' poetry has been chosen because of the variety of problems it presents to the translator and because of the challenge it offers, having never before been translated. The fourth chapter presents Flores' volume El Pasado Es Un Pais Desconocido in the original and in translation.