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In:Relevance Theory, Figuration, and Continuity in Pragmatics
Edited by Agnieszka Piskorska
[Figurative Thought and Language 8] 2020
► pp. 309–326

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Chapter 11
Echoic irony in Philip Larkin’s poetry and its preservation in Polish translations

 | University of Warsaw, Poland
Published online: 20 May 2020
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https://doi.org/10.1075/ftl.8.11wal
Abstract
This chapter deals with the implications that the relevance-theoretic account of irony might have for the interpretation of Philip Larkin’s poetry, acknowledged to be ironic by many literary critics. This is exemplified by poems Church Going and Water. In reference to the latter, the chapter also considers the impact of adopting this model on assessing translations. To illustrate this point, two Polish translations of this poem are discussed. It is argued that incorporating an analysis of echoic irony into the critique of the translations can shed light on the issue of their faithfulness to the original.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Relevance theory on irony
  • 3.Philip Larkin’s echoes
  • 4.Larkin’s irony in translation
    • 4.1Larkin’s irony in translation. Conclusion
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
References (21)
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