Read the following passage and answer the questions that follows:
Poetry in its use of language continually distorts and denies the structure of reality to exalt the structure of the selF) By means of rhyme, assonance or alliteration it couples together words which have no rational connection, that is, no nexus through the world of external reality. It breaks the word up into lines of arbitrary length, cutting across their logical construction. It breaks down their associations, derived from the world of external reality, by means of inversion and every variety of artificial stressing and counterpoint. Thus the world of external reality recedes and the world of instinct, the affective emotional linkage behind the words, becomes the world of reality… In the novel, too, the subjective elements are valued for themselves, and rise to view, but in a different way. The novel blots out external reality by substituting a more or less consistent mock reality which has sufficient ‘stuff’ to stand between the reader and reality. This means that in the novel the emotional associations attach not to words but to the moving current of mock reality symbolised by the words. This is why rhythm, ‘preciousness’, and style are alien to the novel; why the novel translates so well; why novels are not composed of words. They are composed of scenes, actions, stuff, people, just as plays arE)

In the above passage, Christopher Caudwell’s statement, “Poetry in its use of language continually distorts and denies the structure of reality to exalt the structure of the self” implies:

The correct option is: The capacity of poetry to draw attention to itself as an aesthetic object or artefact

Step-by-Step Explanation:

1. Analyze the Quote: The passage begins with the assertion that "Poetry in its use of language continually distorts and denies the structure of reality to exalt the structure of the self." Here, "distorts and denies the structure of reality" refers to how poetry departs from everyday, referential language that simply points to external things. Instead of acting as a transparent window to the outside world, poetic language focuses inward.

2. Deconstruct the Textual Evidence: The author explains that poetry uses formal devices such as rhyme, assonance, alliteration, arbitrary line lengths, and artificial stressing. These linguistic devices couple words together without "rational connection" to external reality. By doing so, poetry disrupts the logical, transparent flow of communication, forcing the reader to focus on the language itself—its sounds, rhythms, and structure.

3. Understand "Exalting the Structure of the Self": By distancing itself from external reality, the language of poetry highlights the subjective, emotional, and affective associations behind the words. The focus shifts from what the words represent in the physical world to how the words exist and feel as a self-contained, aesthetic creation.

4. Connect to the Correct Option: Because poetry intentionally disrupts the practical transmission of information to highlight its own formal devices (rhyme, meter, sound patterns), it draws direct attention to its own medium. Thus, the statement implies that poetry functions primarily to draw attention to itself as an aesthetic object or structured artifact rather than serving as a simple, transparent medium to describe the external world.