In 'A Defence of Poetry', what does Shelley say about the translation of true poetry into another language?
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Correct answer: Impossible to transfer a poem's harmony, like casting a violet into a crucible for its scent
Shelley claims that translating poetry is fundamentally vain because the unique harmony of language and thought cannot be detached. He uses the striking image of throwing a violet into a crucible to find the principle of its odor and color; the flower's organic essence is destroyed by the process. True poetic texture is deeply tied to the exact sounds and rhythms of its original language.
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