Can Mengistu Lemma’s Poem “Tizita”be Classified as World Literature?

Abstract

As a work of poetry by an Ethiopian writer who first wrote in Amharic and eventually translated into English, the world literature of this poem is controversial. Thus, this essay seeks to prove Menghestu Lemma’s poem ‘Longing’ as world literature by utilizing David Damrosch’s defi nitions. Besides, the paper will also explore the possible times it can be considered world literature.This essay falls into three dimensions: By using the theory of elliptical refraction, it is a bridge that connects national literature with world literature. It describes the experience of Africans coming to Britain and reflects the global content. Therefore, in this sense, it could be understood as world literature. Secondly, by using Damrosch’s defi nition of world literature in a reading mode,the essay will look at the poem as world literature from the readers’ perspective. In the end, the poem benefited from translation and even circulated today. From this level of analysis, this paper will explore how translation works to help it circulate as world literature on a global scale.