Critique on “The Possibilities of Paraphrase in the
Teaching of Literary Idiom”
By Prof. Jonathan Acuña Solano
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Twitter: @jonacuso
Post 171
If
Carter (1986) proposed the usage of Labov’s linguistic narrative model to be
used in the teaching of narratives, the question regarding poetry and its
teaching is still in the air. Can paraphrasing be used to teach the literary
idiom in poetry? Nash (1986) proposes the use of paraphrase in the teaching of
literary idiom as a way to create a better connection between the reader and
the text.
For
Wilbur (quoted by Nash, 1986), there is no way of paraphrasing poetic creations
in English. Based on Wilbur’s comment, Nash (1986) comments that “paraphrases
of the kind suggested here [in Wilbur’s eyes] do not bring a poem more firmly
into our possession, and may even mislead us if we rely on them as a form of
explanation and commentary.” It is quite understandable that paraphrasing the
English classic poets, even when they are translated, there is a great loss in
features in their ars poetica.
For
Nash (1986), however, “paraphrase may have no critical status, may be utterly
ludicrous as an account of what the poem is and does, but it can still be the
step that initiates a sophisticated response to language.” And, in order to
produce this response, Nash proposes the following: The instructor should begin
with (1) proverbs re-phrased since
they account for “explanatory/interpretative” poetic language in regular
speech, (2) explanatory and mimetic
paraphrase that can somehow produce a comic/satirical result, and (3) rewriting prose passages, something that
Nash does not explored in his paper. Mostly of what is presented in term of
paraphrase is connected to poetry but no narrative prose.
“One
well-known feature (…) of literary texts is that while they may intensively
state a case, they also have the inherent power to illuminate a universe of
parallels, analogies, and variants” (Nash, 1986). If this universe can be illuminated,
the possibility to explore poets’ ars
poetica is infinite; student comprehension can be well-fostered and
strengthened so learners can enjoy literature by mirroring themselves in the
lines of what is being read, like in Lacan’s mirror metaphor for literature
(Bruss, 1981).
Richard
Wilbur stated that “it ought to be impossible satisfactorily to separate
‘ideas’ from their ‘embodiment’” (Nash, 1986), and he could be right. But when
it comes to working with non-native speakers, paraphrase can be a great asset
for the literature class. If we teachers can have students relate to the text
by means of an aesthetic response rather than an efferent one, a better
comprehension is now open in front of the literature student’s eyes: Poetry is
indeed accessible for anyone.
Bruss,
N. (1981), Lacan & Literature.
The Massachusetts Review. Vol. 22, No. 1 (Spring 1981). pp. 62-92. Retrieved on
2015, April 2, 2015 from the Jstor webpage at http://www.jstor.org/stable/25089121
Carter,
R. (1986). Linguistic Models, Language,
and Literariness: Study strategies in the teaching of literature to foreign
students. Literature and Language Teaching. Edited by Brumfit & Carter.
Oxford: OUP
Nash,
W. (1986). The Possibilities of
Paraphrase in the Teaching of Literary Idiom. Literature and Language Teaching.
Edited by Brumfit & Carter. Oxford: OUP
Sunday, May 10, 2015
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