Semantic and Rhetorical Shift as Stylistic Devices in Soyinka’s Dramatic Works

Abstract

One of the major attributes of language is its creativity. Every natural language is capable of expressing a vast range of experiences both real and imaginary. Alongside this non controversial claim is the uncertainty concerning the exact nature of the creative attribute of language within the scope of translation, especially of proverbs. Since creative writers, for instance, have at some point, used the creative opportunities available in language as tools for encoding an already tangible proverbial text, the assumption is that the translator of such proverbial texts need not seek creativity but act as a faithful duplicator of the Source Text (ST). This paper challenges this assumption based on the premise that literary translation, as an instance of language use, will no doubt demand the translator’s creative input. In fact, translators often have to be highly innovative, stretching languages beyond their seemingly rigid borders to achieve their purposes.