Rafael Cadenas : translations and exegesis of Memorial

Abstract

Although he is well known and prized in Venezuela, Rafael Cadenas has received little exposure in the English-speaking world; only a small selection of his poetry has been translated to English (Cadenas, 1995) (Cadenas, 2004). This thesis is a step in remedying this situation by presenting the Anglophone reader a selected translation of his collection Memorial, and by situating that translation within a context that includes Cadenas' life as well as Venezuelan and Latin American trends in 20th century poetry. My thesis contains four parts: 1) Rafael Cadenas: Life and Work-this situates Memorial within Cadenas' biographical and poetic evolution; 2) Venezuelan and Latin American Poetry-an introduction to Venezuelan Poetry which also situates the poet within the larger context of Latin American Poetry; 3) Selected Translations and Exegesis of Memorial; and 4) An appendix where the translated poems follow the original's use of space within the page. 3