It must be recognized that in translating poetry there are very special problems
involved, for the form of expression (rhythm, meter, assonance, etc.) is essential to
communicating the spirit of the message to the audience. But all translating, whether
of poetry or prose, must be concerned also with the response of the receptor; hence
the ultimate purpose of the translation, in terms of its impact upon its intended
audience, is a fundamental factor in any evaluation of translations. This reason
underlies Leonard Forster’s definition (1958:6) of a good translation as “one which
fulfills the same purpose in the new language as the original did in the language in
which it was written.”