On “Todesfuge” by Paul Celan

Abstract

I explore, in this paper, the poem “Todesfuge”, by the German poet and translator Paul Celan, and based on it I make connections with some conceptions present in Henri Meschonnic’s work as a French linguist, poet and translator. I explore the themes of Ethics and Esthetics, so relevant for both authors. In the course of the analysis of “Todesfuge”, I particularly call the attention to the way its title has been translated into Portuguese, as well as to the consequences of such choices.