Acknowledging the other: Thomas Merton's poetic translations

Abstract

This article explores the connection between reflection and practice of translation in Thomas Merton, based on the theoretical framework provided by Antoine Berman. In Merton’s letters to fellow Latin American writers there are explicit references to the function of poetry in a de-humanized world, in addition to specific comments about his translator’s task. We suggest that those reflections contribute to develop Merton’s poetics of translation and, together with his versions of Latin American poetry (particularly, those in Emblems of a Season of Fury), they can be understood as a way of valuing the Other, in Berman’s terms.