On translating Stevens (and more)
One of the major themes of Wallace Stevens’s poetry is untranslatability. Morever, his
work thrives on ambiguity which can never be resolved. Therefore, translating this
poetry becomes an inspiring challenge: Stevens’s translators need to respect multifariousness
and openness; they need to distrust closure. The fact that Polish reception of the
American poet is almost non-existent (apart from versions by J.M. Rymkiewicz, who
feels affi nity with the ‘classical’ Stevens, and by Cz. Miłosz) makes the task for Polish
translators even more demanding. However, the changes in the Polish poetry of the
last two decades – both when it comes to poetic language and poetry reception – may
assist Stevens’s translators in Poland. Especially promising looks poetic paraphrase
(Ezra Pound’s favourite mode of translation), as practised by Dariusz Foks, Andrzej
Sosnowski and Tadeusz Pióro.

On translating Stevens (and more)
One of the major themes of Wallace Stevens’s poetry is untranslatability. Morever, his
work thrives on ambiguity which can never be resolved. Therefore, translating this
poetry becomes an inspiring challenge: Stevens’s translators need to respect multifariousness
and openness; they need to distrust closure. The fact that Polish reception of the
American poet is almost non-existent (apart from versions by J.M. Rymkiewicz, who
feels affi nity with the ‘classical’ Stevens, and by Cz. Miłosz) makes the task for Polish
translators even more demanding. However, the changes in the Polish poetry of the
last two decades – both when it comes to poetic language and poetry reception – may
assist Stevens’s translators in Poland. Especially promising looks poetic paraphrase
(Ezra Pound’s favourite mode of translation), as practised by Dariusz Foks, Andrzej
Sosnowski and Tadeusz Pióro.