Recollecta membra: a genetic study of Jan Zábrana's diaries and translations

The thesis focuses on the analysis of the stylistic and poetic development of the twentieth-century Czech poet and translator Jan Zábrana. The evolution of Zábrana’s writing is examined chronologically, primarily through the corpus of diaries he left behind and a selection of his translations—specifically, those translations of authors with whom he felt a profound affinity and who, as a result, exerted a discernible influence on his stylistic formation. Given the heterogeneous nature of the material, the linguistic and stylistic phenomena identified are analyzed through a methodology that integrates various theoretical frameworks. Genetic criticism is employed as the principal analytical tool, providing an appropriate structure for interpreting the collected data due to its emphasis on the evolving and dynamic aspects of literary creation. Accordingly, each period of Zábrana’s writing—corresponding to the chronological scope of each set of diaries—is organized into a genetic dossier. Each dossier examines both the endogenetic and exogenetic factors that contributed to shaping Zábrana’s poetics and style over time. A contextual overview of the relevant historical background accompanies each section. At the conclusion of each dossier, an analysis is provided of the translations produced by Zábrana during the corresponding period. Drawing upon the theories of Jiří Levý, Marilyn Gaddis Rose, and Gideon Toury, these translation studies explore the presence of Zábrana’s stylistic features in his translated works. Particular attention is given to the stylistic and poetic connections between Zábrana and the original authors—referred to as his “poetic alter-egos”—and the extent to which these affinities informed the emergence of specific stylistic characteristics within his own literary production. The collected data showed that Zábrana poetics and writing style acquired their specific character through the contact with the diary form and the exchange with the authors he translated, representing a symptomatic example.