The translation of poetry may be one of the mostt hought-provoking forms of translation practice, yet many of its theoretical aspects remain elusive. This article gives an overview of approaches advocated in translation studies today and explores current theoretical perspectives. After a brief his torical introduction, contemporary research is examined in the light of those questions that still influence theoretical reflection in the field : the untranslatability of poetry, the need to be a poet to translate poetry, rhythm, and the poetics of the translator. The author concludes that although theories of rhythm and recent textual approaches favor a more thorough and precise apprehension of translated texts, a comprehensive approach to poetry translation incorporating varying perspectives has yet to be developed.