A stylistic analysis of translation of Hilmi Yavuz's poetry

This thesis deals with criticism of poetry translation focusing on Seasons of the Word which consists of selected poems of Hilmi Yavuz translated into English by Prof. Walter G. Andrews. In this study, some of the important issues regarding poetry translation are explored and the importance of translation criticism is emphasized. Models for translating poetry are presented and stylistics as a criticism theory for poetry translation is suggested, explained, and applied to ten poems chosen from each of the ten cycles in Seasons of the Word. Stylistics, the first part of which is applied in the analyses of the poems in this thesis, is a theorotical approach within literary criticism. In accordance with the first part of this theory applied in this thesis, the poems are analysed on three levels. These are graphological, phonological, syntactical and lexical levels respectively. On the graphological level, all the typographical features including punctuation and orthography are analysed. On the phonological level, rhyme schemes, rhyming words, and alliterations in the original poems and their translations are compared and contrasted. On the lexical and syntactical levels, the lexical choices and syntactical features of the poems are explored. As a result, the reasons of diversions from the original poems are discussed emphasizing the significance of intertextual and extratextual elements with respect to the target reader?s reception of the translated work. Interviews with the poet Hilmi Yavuz and the translator Walter G. Andrews are attached to this thesis since it is thought that their comments on poetry translation and its criticism will be useful. Besides, this thesis can provide a comprehensive model for those who want to make similar studies in criticism of poetry translation. With stylistic analysis, it may also help for more objective criticisms in literary world where the translated literary works have usually been evaluated simply as `good? or `bad? so far