{"id":1429,"date":"2019-08-24T16:29:52","date_gmt":"2019-08-24T16:29:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ieas-szeged.hu\/downtherabbithole\/?page_id=1429"},"modified":"2023-04-17T21:13:40","modified_gmt":"2023-04-17T21:13:40","slug":"heffalumps-twinkling-bats-mome-raths-reading-and-translating-nonsense-literature","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/ieas-szeged.hu\/downtherabbithole\/rolam\/oktatas\/szeminariumaim\/heffalumps-twinkling-bats-mome-raths-reading-and-translating-nonsense-literature\/","title":{"rendered":"Heffalumps, Twinkling Bats, Mome Raths. Reading and Translating Nonsense Literature"},"content":{"rendered":"

Course description<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nonsense is a literary genre that refuses to conform to the expected order of things, pokes fun at logical reasoning, and troubles conventional language use by emphasizing sounds, rhythms, wordplay and the proliferation of sense instead of meanings fixed by grammatical conventions. Nonsense can take many forms, combining a playfulness sprung from oral folk tradition and primary sensory delights of nursery rhymes with intellectual absurdities put in the service of sociopolitical satire or with philosophical attempts to capture the most intense moments of consciousness or the elusive experience of forgetfulness. Nonsense also reveals how translation conceived of in terms of a literal identity of meaning borders on an impossible gambit. Focusing on nonsense literature in English and in translation (including the students\u2019s own) we shall tackle dilemmas related to untranslatability, neologisms, puns, language games, the impossibility of meaninglessness and the necessity of misunderstanding. Topics to be discussed include: the joys of gibberish and Dr Seuss, Victorian nonsense children\u2019s rhymes, limericks and Edward Lear, the imagetextual monstrosity of Lewis Carroll\u2019s Jabberwocky, absurd tales by Eugene Ionesco and James Thurber, modernist distortions of meaning, time, and memory and Gertrude Stein, Post-war nonsense melancholy in Mervyn Peake and Carl Sandburg, worldmaking through made-up words and Shel Silverstein\u2019s bestiary, and visual and musical nonsense. We shall mostly discuss poems, short stories and tales, primarily but not exclusively from children\u2019s literature. Grading is based on in-class activity, a presentation, home-work assignments, and a brief final seminar paper.<\/p>\n

READINGS<\/p>\n

Poems for Nonsense Lit Course<\/a> (reading for the 1st week)<\/p>\n

Edward_Lear.\u00a0 A Book_of_Nonsense<\/em> (1862)<\/a><\/p>\n

Edward Lear. “The Owl and the Pussycat” (1865) ENG\/HUN<\/a><\/p>\n

Edward Lear.\u00a0 “The Pobble who has no Toes”_ ENG\/HUN<\/a><\/p>\n

Lewis Carroll.<\/a> The Annotated Alice –<\/a><\/em> includes:\u00a0<\/a> Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There (1872)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Lewis Carroll. “Twinkle, Twinkle, little bat!” in Wonderland<\/em> (1865)<\/a><\/p>\n

Hilaire Beloc. The Bad Child’s Book of Beasts (1896)<\/a><\/p>\n

Gertrude Stein. “Lifting Belly” (1915-17)<\/a><\/p>\n

Carl Sandburg. Rootabaga Stories<\/em> (1922)<\/a><\/p>\n

Mervyn Peake. Ryhmes without Reason<\/em>. 1944. (extracts)<\/a><\/p>\n

James Thurber. The 13 Clocks<\/em>. (1950)<\/a><\/p>\n

Dr. Seuss. The Cat in the Hat<\/em>\u00a0 (1957)<\/a><\/p>\n

Edward Gorey. The Gashlycrumb Tinies<\/em> (1963)<\/a><\/p>\n

dont blump the glump! Silverstein<\/a><\/p>\n

Shel Silverstein. “Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too” Where the Sidewalk Ends<\/em> (1974)<\/a><\/p>\n

Donald Barthelme_”The School” (1976)<\/a><\/p>\n

Tim_Burton._The_Melancholy_Death_of_Oyster_Boy_and\u00a0 Other\u00a0 Stories.<\/em> (1997) extracts\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 <\/a>Oytser online<\/a><\/p>\n

List of Wizarding Terms in translations of Harry Potter<\/a><\/p>\n

VIDEOS<\/p>\n

Spike Milligan. “On the Ning Nang Nong” (1959) from Everybody Sing<\/em>! Playschool<\/a><\/p>\n

Dr Seuss. Fox in Socks<\/em> (1965) <\/a><\/p>\n

David Firth. Salad Fingers (2004)<\/a><\/p>\n

Tim Burton. The World of Stainboy, Episode 1-6 (2000)<\/a><\/p>\n

Catherine Tate. The Interpreter Sketch<\/a><\/p>\n

All Harry Potter Movies in Magic Spells<\/a><\/p>\n

The Bestiary, video by The History Guy<\/a><\/p>\n

Book of Beasts at Getty<\/a><\/p>\n

MUSIC<\/p>\n

Misheard lyrics. Soramimi: Karl Orff. Carmina Burana<\/a><\/p>\n

Coraline Soundtrack. Mechanical Lullaby. Bruno Coulais<\/a><\/p>\n

Igor Stravinsky. The Owl and the Pussycat<\/a><\/p>\n

John Rutter. The Owl and the Pussycat<\/a><\/p>\n

The Owl and the Pussycat. 1952 Animation. halas & Batchelor Collection.<\/a><\/p>\n

More musical adaptations of The Owl and the Pussycat<\/a><\/p>\n

Karlheinz Stockhausen. Helicopter String Quartet (1993)<\/a><\/p>\n

John Cage. 4’33 (1952)<\/a><\/p>\n

Syllabus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Orientation<\/em><\/li>\n
  2. Introduction to nonsense literature. Jack Prelutsky. \u201cMiss Misinformation\u201d, <\/em>E. E. Cummings: \u201canyone lived in a pretty how town,\u201d Richards \u201cEletelephony\u201d, Lewis Carroll. \u201cThe Mad Gardener\u2019s Song,\u201d etc. See 1st reader online.<\/li>\n
  3. \u00a0Introduction to literary translation: <\/em>domestication and foreignization, untranslatability, the invisibility of the interpreter, cross-cultural meanings, making sense of nonsense<\/li>\n
  4. \u00a0The joys of gibberish and lullabies: Dr Seuss. \u201cFox in Socks\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n
  5. \u00a0Victorian nonsense children\u2019s rhymes: Edward Lear. \u201cThe Owl and the Pussycat\u201d (translations by Havasi Attila, Hajnal Anna), musical adaptations, \u201cThe Pobble who has no Toes\u201d (translations by Havasi, Varr\u00f3,) <\/em><\/li>\n
  6. \u00a0Unmaking Meanings at a mad tea party: Lewis Carroll\u2019s \u201cTwinkle, twinkle, little bat!\u201d and its many translations<\/em><\/li>\n
  7. Absurd tales. Eugene Ionesco. <\/em>Stories 1.2.3. <\/em>James Thurber. <\/em>The 13 Clocks<\/em>.<\/em><\/li>\n
  8. Modernist distortions of meaning, time, and memory. Gertrude Stein \u201cLifting belly\u201d Post-war nonsense melancholy. Mervyn Peake. <\/em>Rhymes without reason<\/em>. Carl Sandburg. <\/em>Rootabaga Stories, <\/em>Donald Barthelme. \u201cThe School\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n
  9. Worldmaking through neologisms. Wordmagic, Shel Silverstein\u2019s bestiary, the magic spells of Harry Potter\u2019s wizarding world<\/em><\/li>\n
  10. Reading in the dark. Nonsense, gothic, death in children\u2019s lit: Edward Gorey. <\/em>The Gashleycrumb tinies<\/em>, Tim Burton\u2019s poems<\/em><\/li>\n
  11. Visual and musical nonsense: from Malevich to Harriet Russell, from Stockhausen\u2019s Helicopter String Quartet to Eric Satie, Bruno Coulais<\/em><\/li>\n
  12. Imagetextual monstrosity in Lewis Carroll\u2019s Jabberwocky (We\u00f6res, T\u00f3tfalusi, Varr\u00f3, J\u00f3nai) Names without a thing: Heffalump, Gruffalo, Cthulchu<\/em><\/li>\n
  13. Mini conference, Discussing students\u2019 translations of Lewis Carroll\u2019s Jabberwocky<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Grading policy<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

    *classroom activity<\/strong>, <\/u>homework assignment<\/strong>s \u00a0(25%)<\/strong><\/p>\n

    *presentation<\/strong>: 10-15 minutes long introductory analysis of a text to be discussed in class + handout in 15 printed copies including the main ideas of your presentation. You can use a PPT or Prezi but you still need the handout (25%)<\/strong><\/p>\n

    * final seminar paper (made up of 4 components) (50%)<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

    –1. TRANSLATION component:\u00a0 translate Lewis Carroll\u2019s Jabberwocky (from English to Hungarian)<\/p>\n

    –2. LITERARY ANALYTICAL component: write a 3 page-long explanation of your own work (possibly explain the choices you made in your translation (domestication or foreignization, why), comparison (of your translation) with\/analysis of other Hungarian translations, commentary on functioning of literary nonsense)<\/p>\n

    –3. INTERMEDIAL component: your translation of the poem Jabberwocky into another medium: from text to image, to music, to video, etc)<\/p>\n

    –4. PEDAGOGICAL component:\u00a0 create an exercise for students (you decide which level: elementary\/high school or university) dealing with the poem the Jabberwocky<\/p>\n

    Format<\/em>: Times New Roman, 12, 1.5 space, consult the online Institute Style Sheet. http:\/\/www.ieas-szeged.hu\/documents\/ Plagiarism is punishable by failure<\/em>.<\/p>\n

    Deadline: Nov 26.<\/strong> If you fail to submit this, you fail the class. No deadline extension.<\/p>\n

    NOTE: Max 3 absences allowed. <\/strong><\/p>\n

    Please come to the text prepared, read the short texts before the class and think about them, and make sure to bring the readings with you in class in a printed or an electronic copy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    List of recommended secondary readings<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Basnett, Susan & Andr\u00e9 Lefevere. Constructing Cultures. Essays on Literary Translation<\/em>. Multilingual Matters, 1998.<\/p>\n

    Bedamatta, Urmishree. \u201ePlaying with Nonsense: Toward Language Bridging in a Multilingual Classroom.\u201d<\/a> CLELE<\/em>, 2014\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

    Byrom, Thomas. Nonsense and Wonder: The Poems and Cartoons of Edward Lear<\/em>. NY: Dutton,1977.<\/p>\n

    Cammaerts, Emile. The Poetry of Nonsense<\/em>. London: Routledge, 1926.<\/p>\n

    Cassin, Barbara ed. Dictionary of Untranslatables. A philosophical lexicon<\/em>. Translated by Steven Rendall, Christian Hubert, Jeffrey Mehlman, Nathanael Stein and Michael Syrotinski. Princeton University Press, 2015.<\/p>\n

    Chesterton, Gilbert. \u2018A Defense of Nonsense,\u2019 The Defendant<\/em>. London: J. M. Dent & Sons, 1914. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

    Deleuze, Gilles, The Logic of Sense<\/em>, trans. Mark Lester with Charles Stivale, ed. Constantin V. Boundas. London: The Athlone Press, (French version 1969), 1990.<\/p>\n

    Haughton, Hugh. Introduction<\/em> to The Chatto Book of Nonsense Poetry<\/em>. Chatto & Windus, 1988.<\/p>\n

    Hertelendy R\u00e9ka. “Ford\u00edt\u00f3i kih\u00edv\u00e1sok \u00e9s megold\u00e1sok a magyar nyelv\u0171 Harry Potter-k\u00f6tetekben.” N\u00e9vtani \u00c9rtes\u00edt\u0151<\/em> 33 (2011): 133-145.<\/a><\/p>\n

    Lecercle, Jean-Jacques. Philosophy of Nonsense. The Intuitions of Victorian Nonsense Literature.<\/a><\/em> New York: Routledge, 1994.<\/p>\n

    Malcolm, Noel, The Origins of English Nonsense<\/em>. London: Fontana\/HarperCollins, 19k97.<\/p>\n

    May, Leila S. \u201cLanguage-Games and Nonsense: Wittgenstein’s Reflection in Carroll’s Looking-Glass.\u201c Philosophy and Literature. <\/em>Vol. 31, No. 1, April 2007. 79-94.<\/p>\n

    Mitchell, WJT. \u201cThe Unspeakable and the Unimaginable: Word and Image in a Time of Terror.\u201d<\/a> ELH<\/em>. Vol. 72. No 2. Summer 2005. 291-308.<\/p>\n

    Munday, Jeremy. \u201cTranslating the Foreign.\u201d<\/a> Introducing Translation Studies Theories and Applications<\/em>. London: Routledge. 2001. Chapter 9.<\/p>\n

    O\u2019Sullivan, Emer. Comparative Children\u2019s Literature<\/em>. Taylor & Francis, 2005.<\/p>\n

    Prickett, Stephen, Victorian Fantasy<\/em>. Hassocks: The Harvester Press, 1979.<\/p>\n

    Reike, Alison, The Senses of Nonsense<\/em>. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1992.<\/p>\n

    Reynolds, Kimberley. Radical Children\u2019s Literature. Future Visions and Aesthetic Transformations in Juvenile Fiction<\/em>. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.<\/p>\n

    Sewell, Elizabeth, The Field of Nonsense<\/em>. London: Chatto and Windus, 1952.<\/p>\n

    Stewart, Susan, Nonsense: Aspects of Intertextuality in Folklore and Literature<\/em>. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1979.<\/p>\n

    Stoodt, Barbara. Children\u2019s Literature<\/em>. Macmillan Education AU, 1996.<\/p>\n

    Tarantino, Elisabetta and Carlo Caruso, Introduction<\/em> to Nonsense and Other Senses: Regulated Absurdity in Literature<\/em>. Newcastle upon Tyne, Cambridge Scholars Publishers, 2009<\/p>\n

    Tigges, Wim, An Anatomy of Literary Nonsense<\/em>. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1988.<\/p>\n

    Venuti, Lawrence. The Translator\u2019s Invisibility<\/em>. New York: Routledge, 1995.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Course description Nonsense is a literary genre that refuses to conform to the expected order of things, pokes fun at logical reasoning, and troubles conventional language use by emphasizing sounds, rhythms, wordplay and the proliferation of sense instead of meanings fixed by grammatical conventions. Nonsense can take many forms, combining a playfulness sprung from oral […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":207,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1429","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ieas-szeged.hu\/downtherabbithole\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ieas-szeged.hu\/downtherabbithole\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ieas-szeged.hu\/downtherabbithole\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ieas-szeged.hu\/downtherabbithole\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ieas-szeged.hu\/downtherabbithole\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1429"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"http:\/\/ieas-szeged.hu\/downtherabbithole\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1429\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1750,"href":"http:\/\/ieas-szeged.hu\/downtherabbithole\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1429\/revisions\/1750"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ieas-szeged.hu\/downtherabbithole\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ieas-szeged.hu\/downtherabbithole\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}