Summary and analysis the unknown citizen, first published in the listener on august 1939, and later included in the collected shorter poems, 1950, is a satire, not on the citizen, but on the way in which the average man in the street is controlled by the conventions of bureaucracy and the welfare state which ignore the need for a man to be free and happy. Analysis of the unknown citizen english literature essay. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Auden, uses irony to show how a persons well being does not depend on statistics or the praising of a government.
The unknown citizen is a parody of the the unknown soldier, a term used to recognize people whose bodies are found after a battle but cannot be identified. Throughout time, society has had its ways of developing what is to be considered the ideal citizen. That, in the modern sense of an oldfashioned word, he was a saint. He was found by the bureau of statistics to be one against whom there was no official complaint, and all the reports on his conduct agree that, in the modern sense of an oldfashioned word, he was a saint, for in everything he did he served the greater community. Auden in 1939, shortly after he moved from england to the united states. Auden, presents multifarious universal themeslove, time and death.
The unknown citizen is meant to recall the idea of the unknown soldier, or a soldier whose remains could not be identified after a battle. The poem is intensely ironic and reflects audens earlier work in which social, political. The poem was first published on january 6, 1940 in the new yorker, and first appeared in book form in auden s collection another time random house, 1940. Raashmi krishnasamy outline ap question and thesis poem analysis i. This study aims to identify modern bureaucratic government phenomenon expressed in w. The poem starts with a very chilling reminder of the distancing between the people and the government. Army uses metal dog tags to identify soldiers who are killed in action, but these tags can be lost or melted, and sometimes its just impossible to locate or identify a person. In the poem the unknown citizen, the author attempts to show the reader that the government can know everything about you, but at the same time, not know you at all. In this, the state pays tribute and describes a successful and positive product of its efficiency and effectiveness.
Auden the unknown citizen essay example bestwritingservice. The unknown citizen, when i first read its title and opening epigraph, reminded me of the tomb of the unknown soldier in paris, and the nameless graves of northern france. Auden about suffering they were never wrong, the old masters. In the unknown citizen the government has manipulated human intelligence to the point that they have control over everyones. Dec 11, 2009 the unknown citizen the unknown citizen by w. Auden to js07 m 378 this marble monument is erected by the state he was found by the bureau of statistics to be one against whom there was no official complaint, and all the reports on his conduct agree that, in the modern sense of an oldfashioned word, he was a. Auden in a nutshell during the 1920s and 30s, many american writers left the states to become expatriates overseas, particularly in europe. His work is noted for its stylistic and technical achievements, its engagement with moral and political issues, and its variety of tone, form.
The word saint is a religious term, so the unknown citizen cant actually be one, except in the modern sense, which means that were dealing with a metaphor. The poem begins with an ironic epigraph, to js07 m 378 this marble monument is erected by the state. He was an englishman who moved back to the colonies the u. May 07, 20 the poem the unknown citizen written by w. There is nothing holy about the way in which the citizen acted.
It is dedicated to js07m378, the identification of the faceless citizen, followed by a statement that evokes the monuments erected in name of the unknown soldiers fallen in war. Auden during 1940, is a poem where the speaker, a representative of the state or government, directs a speech to the audience about a monument being erected for a citizen. Auden the unknown citizen to js07m378 this marble monumeht is erected by the state he was found by the bureau of statistics to be. The poem is addressed to js07m378, a social security like number, and an allusion to the national monuments for the unknown soldiers who died in battle. The unknown citizen poem summary and analysis litcharts. British from birth, united states from 1946 education. Auden wrote the unknown citizen while living in new york, and the poem gives evidence of his culture shock when suddenly confronted with americanstyle chaos and consumerism.
Auden is important to consider, when you do an analysis. Lost in societys trap richard cory by edwin robinson and the unknown citizen by wystan auden both address appearances versus reality. Auden was admired for his unsurpassed technical virtuosity and ability to write poems in nearly every imaginable verse form. For instance, for serving the greater community instead of dying for his country, the citizen became only a number, js07m378, kai, i, the use of tone in w. Auden is a satiric epitaph for the individual man in a modern bureaucracy. The unknown citizen by w h auden famous poems, famous poets. In the context of the poem, this line could be viewed. Its hard to pull off rhymes in 20th century poetry. H auden is a satiric poem, in this poem he described a modern citizen of the society and critiqued on the idea of conformity i. What is the figure of speech in line four of the unknown. Auden, is a commentary on government and the materialism of modern man.
The person is almost always someone who did well for the country and originated from a certain town. Audens poem entitled the unknown citizen is a portrayal of a conflict between individualism and government control. During the 1920s and 30s, many american writers left the states to become expatriates overseas, particularly in europe. An analysis of a satire in the unknown citizen by w.
The citizen is first commended by the speaker who carefully chooses his words to reveal a patronizing tone. The unknown citizen was written by the british poet w. Audens the unknown citizen is the following that, in the modern sense of an oldfashioned word, he was a saint. This piece is written in third person omniscient to project a nonbias perspective and that way transmit the truth without being affected by feelings or personal point of views. The unknown citizen is a governments view of the perfect modern man in an unrealistic society.
Production of course ware for undergraduate subjects cec english project investigator. Auden 1 have you ever felt as though you have been reduced to a number. The language and style of the poem the unkonwn citizen by w. In this situation, all i was, was number 3, waiting in line to compete. Vocabulary find the opposite word by adding a prefix. The unknown citizen questions yhalit leon the unknown. As a poet, auden is a chameleon capable of writing in many different forms and styles. First, because it sounds oldfashioned, like youre trying too hard to write poetry. Audens the unknown citizen and edwin arlington robinsons richard cory essay sample. The poem is written in the form of an obituary inscribed on a monument built by the government in commemoration of an average, upstanding, and decent community member. The sight of all those unnamed dead, remembered only in their capacity as soldiers, is of course unspeakably tragic, but i find there to be also something quite estranging there, because there are no names, no faces, no. What is the theme of the poem the unknown citizen by w. The unknown citizen by raashmi krishnasamy on prezi. The statue is almost never of someone who is just an ordinary man living life just like everyone else around him.
People have become faceless beings, unknown citizens. In the unknown citizen, this man is seen as an ideal addition to society, but not important enough to be anything more than the numbers of statistics, while in richard cory he is a contributor to his community and everyone likes him. It describes an average citizen in a governmentcontrolled state. Auden, was an angloamerican poet, born in england, later an american citizen, regarded by many critics as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. The unknown citizen by w h auden famous poems, famous. Here is our input on the way auden uses the language. The poem is the epitaph of a man identified only by a combination of letters and numbers somewhat like an american. The unknown citizen written in 1939, the unknown citizen by w. The unknown citizen, was written during world war ii in the 1940s. Its structure is that of a satiric elegy, as though the.
Auden to js07 m 378 this marble monument is erected by the state he was found by the bureau of statistics to be one against whom there was no official complaint, and all the reports on his conduct agree that, in the modern sense of an oldfashioned word, he was a saint, for in everything he did he served the greater. The poems use of imagery, ironic tone, and theme presents the conflict of a mans true identity versus being a statistic of the government prevents the reader from. The creation of irony in, the unknown citizen by w. In his satirical elegy, the unknown citizen, auden describes the society as one that is bitter toward individuality and identity.
The unknown citizen is both satirical and disturbing. Auden, was written in 1940 and that era can be seen in certain stanzas. The unknown citizen 1940 is one of auden s most famous poems. Often anthologized and read by students in high school and college, it is renowned for its wit and irony in complaining about the stultifying and anonymous qualities of bureaucratic, semisocialist western societies. New york, and the poem gives evidence of his culture shock when suddenly confronted with american. It was written by auden to highlight the role of the individual and the increasingly faceless bureaucracy that can arise in any country, with any type of government. Auden to js07 m 378 this marble monument is erected by the state he was found by the bureau of statistics to be one against whom there was no official complaint, and all the reports on his conduct agree that, in the modern sense of an oldfashioned word, he was a saint. This piece is written in third person omniscient to project a nonbias perspective and that way transmit the truth without being affected by. In other words, it builds the character later described to. The poem can be read easily and does support the title name. It is obvious that this is in fact a report and the dedication to js07m378 further proves the idea of no individuality.
Still, the most striking comparison is that of the unknown citizen with a saint. The poem is dripping with irony, as the speaker lists off accomplishments that arent accomplishments at all. During this time a mans possessions and status defined who he was. The whole idea of the unknown citizen is a parody of the serious military concept of the unknown soldier, which was created in order to recognize the sacrifice of soldiers who died anonymously. In other words, it builds the character later described to the reader as the perfect citizen. The poem was first published on january 6, 1940 in the new yorker, and first appeared in book form in audens collection another time random house, 1940. Hi, im in 8th grade doing an english assignment on the theme of the unknown citizen by w. How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting for the miraculous birth, there always must be. This citizen consists of many traits that are favorable by the many. Auden s the unknown citizen is the following that, in the modern sense of an oldfashioned word, he was a saint. The unknown citizen the marble monument erected by the state or town is usually of a hometown hero. One against whom there was no official complaint, and all the reports on his conduct agree. As a young man he was influenced by the poetry of thomas hardy and robert frost, as well as william blake, emily dickinson, gerard manley hopkins, and old english verse.
W h auden follow wystan hugh auden was born in york, england, in 1907, he moved to birmingham with his family during his childhood and was later educated at christ church, oxford. Auden, presents multifarious universal themes love, time and death. Auden delivers his message by writing a poem about how a government grants an ordinary citizen a monument because of his attributes and deeds to make him a model citizen for the government. Starting with the title one gets the feeling of anonymity. Auden is a 32 line poem that utilizes a number of different rhyming patterns. The poem contains examples of both skillfully written rhyming couplets and seemingly patternless portions of verse that are variable in their end rhymes it is impossible to escape the lighthearted nature with which intense subject matter is being tackled in the poem.