Containing Binaries in the Poetry of A. K. Ramanujan

Abstract

A.K. Ramanujan’s poetry is deeply embedded in binaries that reflect the complex interplay of cultural, personal, and philosophical dualities. His works frequently juxtapose tradition and modernity, East and West, memory and immediacy, as well as individual and collective identities. These binaries do not merely reflect opposition but serve as dynamic sites of negotiation and synthesis. Ramanujan’s bicultural consciousness, shaped by his South Indian heritage and Western academic training, enables him to navigate linguistic and emotional tensions with subtlety and precision. His poems often explore the intersections of myth and reality, the sacred and the profane, and the self and the other, offering a layered understanding of identity and belonging. This paper analyses how Ramanujan constructs, deconstructs, and reconciles binaries to create poetic meaning, thereby contributing significantly to postcolonial and comparative literature discourses. Through a nuanced reading, it uncovers the deeper philosophical and existential implications of these binaries in his poetic vision.