Alienation and Rootlessness in the Poetry of Dilip Chitre

Abstract

Dilip Chitre stands out as one of the most accomplished poet of post-Independence India who writes with equal mastery in Marathi and English. His poetry is deeply rooted in both Marathi and English traditions. It explores the fractured consciousness of modern man caught between languages, histories and places. Rootlessness, alienation and exile recur throughout his work as central metaphors for modern existence. Chitre's works are not merely linguistic but existential, a reflection of the modern Indian psyche torn between inherited tradition and urban modernity. Through the close readings of "Father Returning Home," "Felling of the Banyan tree," and "Lost Images," this paper examines how Chitre transforms alienation into a profound exploration of identity, memory, and spiritual belonging. The study argues that Chitre's poetry captures the paradox of modern life: the search for home within homelessness, the quest for meaning with estrangement. Finally, Chitre's art demonstrates that alienation, far from being a purely negative condition, generates creativity self-knowledge and transcendence.