Self-Portrait Style

Self-Portrait Style

Setting: Public and Private Space

The poem contrasts public and private space to illustrate the details that the speaker considers in creating his self-portrait. He first describes a private space, possibly a home or office, identifying personal objects like “a computer, a pencil, and a typewriter,” the necessary tools of his artistic expression. He immediately contrasts this interior world with a more public space when he notes that he lives in “strange cities,” suggesting that the external world will also have an impact on how he defines himself. That impact becomes clear in his descriptions of his interaction with the public world. He characterizes himself as an exile, which has produced a sense of disconnection with this public world. His detachment becomes evident when he characterizes those who pass by as “fellow creatures” and admits that he enjoys “dissolving” his surroundings in fast bike rides. He returns to his private space as he listens to...
(read more)