Romanticism

Introduction
Paul van Tieghem characterizes the movement as a "crisis of European consciousness." This
crisis was marked by a rejection of rationalism and formal harmony. The French Revolution in
1789 further intensified this phenomenon. The rejection of rationalism brought a focus on the
vital role of imagination. This emphasis on individualism also introduced the concept of creative
freedom.

Romantic Debate on Translation

Both English and German theories raised the question of how to define translation: as a creative
endeavor or a mechanical process. In the Romantic debate on translation, A.W. Schlegel argued
that all acts of speech and writing are essentially acts of translation because communication
involves decoding and interpreting received messages. He also emphasized the importance of
preserving the original form. Friedrich Schlegel viewed translation as a category of thought
rather than a task limited to language or literature.
This period made it challenging to differentiate between studies of influence and studies
of translation. Two contrasting tendencies emerged in the early 19th century:
1. Translation as a realm of creative thought, where the translator was considered a creative
genius connected to the original work.
2. Translation as a mechanical function, simply serving to "make known" a text or author.

Ambiguousness of the Translator

In Timothy Webb's examination of Shelley and translation, he reveals the ambiguity
surrounding the translator's role, which is mirrored in the poet's own writings. Webb illustrated
that Shelley viewed translation as a lesser activity, a means of bridging the gaps between his own
inspirations. Additionally, Webb notes that Shelley's focus seems to shift from translating works
esteemed for their ideas to translating works esteemed for their literary qualities. Most
importantly, as the focus moved away from the technical aspects of translation, the concept of
untranslatability gained prominence, leading to an excessive emphasis on technical precision and
resulting in literal translations during the later part of the 19th century.

Avoiding Untranslatability
1. The use of literal translation, concentrating on the immediate language of the message;
2. The use of an artificial language somewhere in between the SL text where the special
feeling of the original may be conveyed through strangeness
 Post-Romanticism
Addressing Challenges in Translation
Friedrich Schleiermacher suggested the creation of a separate sub-language exclusively for
translated literature, while Dante Gabriel Rossetti emphasized the translator's obligation to
adhere to the forms and language of the original work. These proposals aimed to address the
challenges highlighted by Shelley in The Defence of Poesy, where he cautioned against the
futility of trying to transfer a poet's creations from one language to another, “It were as wise to
cast a violet into a crucible that you might discover the formal principle of its colour and
odour…”. Shelley emphasized that a plant must grow anew from its seed to produce flowers,
drawing a parallel with the curse of Babel.

The Influence of Schleiermacher's Translation Language Theory

Schleiermacher's idea of a separate translation language found support among several English
translators in the nineteenth century, including F.W. Newman, Carlyle, and William Morris.
Newman believed that the translator should retain every unique aspect of the original work
whenever possible, particularly emphasizing the need to preserve foreign elements. G.A. Simcox
explained how the quaint and archaic English used in the translation added a fitting foreign
flavor, effectively masking any imperfections in the original text.

Deliberate Archaism
William Morris, a renowned translator, worked on numerous texts, including Norse sagas,
Homer's Odyssey, Vergil's Aeneid, and Old French romances. Oscar Wilde described Morris'
Odyssey as a true work of art that captured the essence of poetry. However, Wilde also noted that
the "new spirit" infused into the translations leaned more towards Norse than Greek. Morris
deliberately employed an archaic and peculiar language in his translations, making them
challenging to read and at times obscure. He made no concessions to readers and expected them
to engage with the work on its own terms to experience the foreignness of the original society
that produced the text.
The awkwardness of Morris’ style can be seen in the following passage, taken from Book
VI of the Aeneid:

“What God, O Palinure, did snatch thee so away

From us thy friends and drown thee dead amidst the watery way?”