Intersemiotic transposition and the translation of visual poetry

Abstract

Translation theorists such as Julio Plaza, Gisbert Kranz and Claus Clüver have explored the frontiers of intersemiotic translation. They have collectively redefined the perception of semantics as essentially – or at least potentially – multisensory. This essay investigates the complexity of translating textual visual poetry, and emphasises the instructive value of intersemiotic transposition not as an end in itself, but as a translation tool. A "literary" rendering requires not only the search for "verbal equations" between content and form (Jakobson) often employed in poetry translation, but also an artist’s sensitivity to the poem’s visual aesthetic. It is suggested that intersemiotic transposition may provide a key intermediary step for translators of visual poetry. Two poems by e. e. cummings are translated into Portuguese using the translation methodology described.