Untranslated and Untranslatable? Pushkin's Poetry in English, 1892–1931

Abstract

Although Pushkin is widely regarded as Russia's finest poet and the origin of the modern Russian literary tradition, his works were less frequently translated into English than other major authors. This article traces a reluctance to translate Pushkin to two phenomena: the perception that poetry was untranslatable; and the difficulty of understanding Pushkin within a context dominated by realist prose. It then considers a number of important translations, noting that they were frequently embedded within a discussion of translation theory that itself challenged the myth of transparent translation then dominant in British literary culture. It also argues that alongside literary translation, music played a central role in the reception of Pushkin in Britain.