Translating and Reimagining Recovering Pizarnik in Her Late Prose Works

Date of Award

2011

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Portugal, Jose Alberto

Keywords

Alejandra Pizarnik, Translation, Prose Poetry

Area of Concentration

Humanities

Abstract

This thesis examines the authorial image of Argentine-Jewish poet, Alejandra Pizarnik (1936-1972). Long thought of as a modern poet with minimal connection to any one tradition, I re-imagine her as a poet of Judaism, language and childhood through close readings of works, many poemas en prosa,�written late in her life and after her father�s death. This thesis has three chapters: (1) Images of the Artist; (2) New Readings of Pizarnik (Prose) Poems; and (3) Translating Pizarnik (Prose) Poems. In the first chapter I examine notions of Pizarnik created by critics and by the public, then move to re-imagining her as a poet in a new lens. In chapter 2, close-readings of prose poems substantiate those claims made in my re-imagining. Finally, chapter 3 provides annotated translations of five poems, four previously untranslated�Los muertos y la lluvia�(The Dead and the Rain), Dificultades barrocas (Baroque Difficulties), Desconfianza�(Distrust), Devoci�n�(Devotion), and the only poem in verse, Poema para el padre�(Poem for my Father). My interpretation of Pizarnik is influenced by concepts including, J. Lacan�s �desire,� Bachelard�s 'poetics of internal space,� Turner�s 'liminality,� and Borges� 'infidelity in translation,� amongst others. Ultimately, I hope this reading of the complicated poet succeeds in recovering essential aspects of her cuerpo poetico�(poetic body of work).

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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