Question

“I resemble everyone/but myself, and sometimes see/in shop-windows,/despite the well-known laws/ of optics,/the portrait of a stranger,/date unknown,/often signed/in a corner/by my father”

• A. Existential alienation
• B. Anxiety of self, caused by the structures of kinship
• C. Artistic ecstasy
• D. Euphoria in the marketplace

Hint:

In poetry, self-identity crises often reflect existential alienation, where the individual struggles to reconcile their personal identity with external expectations, especially from family or society.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A, B

Step 1: Interpreting the lines.
These lines from A. K. Ramanujan’s "Self Portraits" express a sense of alienation from the self. The speaker reflects on his resemblance to everyone but himself, which suggests a lack of self-identity. There is also a reference to his father’s influence, which hints at the anxiety and conflict arising from familial expectations and relationships. 
Step 2: Explanation of the options.
(A) is correct because the lines express existential alienation, where the speaker feels disconnected from his own identity and detached from his true self.
(B) is correct because the speaker experiences anxiety related to kinship structures, as indicated by the reference to his father’s influence and the sense of estrangement from his own image.
(C) is incorrect because there is no reference to artistic ecstasy in the poem; rather, the focus is on identity crisis and alienation.
(D) is incorrect because there is no sense of euphoria or joy in the marketplace, but rather an existential struggle and self-doubt.