HARLEM RENAISSANCE CULTURAL MEDIATIONS

TRANSLATIONS OF THE POEM “I, TOO” BY LANGSTON HUGHES

Abstract

Langston Hughes (1902-1967)’s writing and activism, especially during the Harlem Renaissance (1917-1935) was a way of fighting against racism in the United States and of enriching Black culture. His contribution aims to promote racial consciousness and to enhance the Black experiences. Hughes, given the relevance of his theme, rouses interest in people from various parts of the world. But, if the reader is not fluent or proficient in English, his/her access to this literary universe happens through translation. This mechanism is not innocent, it is at the service of a powerful system. Then, in order to show how Harlem Renaissance culture while promoting racial consciousness, is present in the poem “I, Too” by Langston Hughes and in Back’s and Bernd’s translation, firstly its historical context is presented. It is based on the works of Remini (2008), Hattnher (1992), Tracy (1988) and Rummel (2005). Secondly, the role of translation as cultural mediation, focused on the works of Bassnett and Lefevere (1990), Toury (1995), Gentzler and Tymoczko (2002) and Venuti (1995) is introduced. After that, the choices the translators, being or not a writer or poet, made are analized to verify if the components which were part of the theoretical sections express the aim of the article. Finally, the elements of the theoretical foundation and the literary analysis were recaptured to indicate the importance of translation as a vehicle for disseminating the culture of the “other” to those who cannot have access to this cultural framework in the source language, in the final considerations.