Open AccessAfter Rilke": revisiting the question of the genre of Derek Mahon’s poem "Night Drive"
Author(s) -
Yekaterina A. Markova
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
vestnik kostromskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta imeni n.a. nekrasova
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1998-0817
DOI - 10.34216/1998-0817-2019-25-4-126-129
Subject(s) - poetry , german , literature , interpretation (philosophy) , imitation , irish , philosophy , art , linguistics , art history , psychology , social psychology
The present article approaches the issue of the genre definition of Derek Mahon’s poem "Night Drive", which was written "after Rilke". Possible definitions of the genre are as follows – "(loose) translation", "adaptation", "version", "pastiche". Mahon’s concept of translation implies that it is essential to adapt the original to the literary tradition of the language of translation. This concept is linked with Mahon’s use of Byzantium image in imitation of William Butler Yeats in his poem. In addition, a hypothesis is suggested about Mahon’s interpretation of the poem by Rainer Maria Rilke: the parallel between Rilke’s image of "granite", which goes back to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Mahon’s image of Byzantium, which is traced to Yeats, may be explained by the urge to overcome German and Irish national literary traditions.