Chapter 1 of this book explains that in most cases research does not appear out of the blue. Scholars want to achieve something new and will therefore argue with their predecessors, but they will also associate themselves with other scholars. In my own case, the new element consists of a descriptive method for poetry translation which will reveal the translator’s strategy and is based on an explanatory attitude. This means that I primarily want to find out why, out of all the possibilities that have presented themselves to the translator, he or she has selected one specific option. What motives could have played a role in this selection; what did the translator wish to achieve with this particular series of choices? Obviously, it is not possible to present an airtight case, but I will show that it is possible to give plausible suggestions for an explanation of a particular translation strategy that can be inferred from the translation. It seems evident that the primary focus of investigation is the product, i.e. the published translation. In addition, the present study assigns an essential role to the translation process, in the sense that I have always attempted to make a posteriori assumptions about the arguments a translator may have used in the decisions he or she has taken. Sometimes a tentative reconstruction of these considerations can be made, based on different versions of the same translation. Apart from the translation as a product and process, a third factor is included in this study: the function of the translation in the new culture and the literature of the target language - or rather, the way in which the translator anticipates this function. By opting for a particular translation strategy, for example frequent explications, normalization or, conversely, emphasizing irregularities in the source text, the translator may influence the way in which the translated text is received in the target culture. As far as my position in the translation studies tradition is concerned, I feel most comfortable ...