The monument of the unknown citizen is erected not to honor the memory of a man, but to show how he is the perfect example of a good citizen auden. Those who follow rules and are wedded to their principles remain unknown. Auden in a nutshell during the 1920s and 30s, many american writers left the states to become expatriates overseas, particularly in europe. In other words, it builds the character later described to the reader as the perfect cit. One against whom there was no official complaint, and all the reports on his conduct agree. Auden is important to consider, when you do an analysis. The creation of irony in, the unknown citizen by w. 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. The citizen is a man who had many accomplishments in life all of which were for the betterment of the community and at his death he was regarded as. He spent his time writing and teaching principally in the united states and his native england, receiving the kings gold medal for poetry in 1937 and the pulitzer prize in 1948. The unknown citizen analysis essaysthe poem 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 saint. Auden uses irony, allusion, and irregular rhyme in his free verse poem the unknown citizen to analyse the fulfilment of the america dream. Auden also uses this concept in the unknown citizen. Comments about the unknown citizen by wystan hugh auden akella s. His life was so much inline with the progress of the state that a monument was raised in his honour. It is a satire of standardization and conformity at the cost of individuality and independence. 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.
The unknown citizen lyrics to js07 m 378 this marble monument is erected by the state he was found by the bureau of statistics to be. Further, the selection is fairly wide and includes most of the most celebrated short and middlelength auden poems. The language and style of the poem the unkonwn citizen by w. In the unknown citizen the government has manipulated human intelligence to the. It is obvious that this is in fact a report and the dedication to js07m378 further proves the idea of no individuality. Auden, wystan hugh the unknown citizen appunto di letteratura inglese, con analisi dettagliata di una tra le piu significative ed intense poesie di w. Thus, audens the unknown citizen shows how the government makes each individual merely a number unless they do not conform to societys norms. But for the unknown citizen, it is more that his life was so conventional that he did not distinguish himself in any way from his fellow citizens. 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. The monument of the unknown citizen is erected not to honor the memory of a man, but to show how he is. Auden, and read the prompt below o in a group of two or three, discuss the steps to analyze poetry below, and discuss possible connections between 1984 and the poem o fill out the planning section below together. The unknown citizen questions yhalit leon the unknown. 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. 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 main idea i suppose is that noncommital people deserve the insignificance. 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. Yet despite the states assurances, the unknown citizens monument is still dedicated to a reference number instead of an actual name. The unknown citizen by w h auden famous poems, famous. The irony auden uses in the unknown citizen is indirectly suggested. First, the imagery of the unknown citizen gives a good mental image of the lifestyle of this person. He does his duty as a citizen of the country he lives in. No poem shares a page with any other, which means 240 pages of auden poetry, plus a table of contents and index. The unknown citizen does not follow a standard rhyme scheme. The unknown citizen by w h auden famous poems, famous poets. 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. That, in the modern sense of an oldfashioned word, he was a saint, for in everything he did he served the greater community. Auden, is a commentary on government and the materialism of modern man.
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. Read this essay on reflection paper on the unknown citizen by w. But for the unknown citizen, it is more that his life was so conventional that he did not distinguish himself. The unknown citizen he was found by the bureau of statistics to be he was found by the bureau of statistics to be the academy of american poets is the largest membershipbased nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting american poets. If no one asks questions, the state can do almost whatever it wants. It is through these subtle symbols that auden is able to reveal how he feels about conforming to government xpectations, as most writers stray from conform. It is also possible that the unknown citizen is the jew, persecuted by the totalitarian state during the second world war.
The unknown citizen poem by wystan hugh auden poem hunter. Auden s poem entitled the unknown citizen is a portrayal of a conflict between individualism and government control. How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting for the miraculous birth, there always must be. Here is our input on the way auden uses the language. Auden 19071973 was a prolific poet deeply concerned with religious as well as social issues. Auden uses simple diction to represent the simplicity of the unknown citizen s life. Get the knowledge you need in order to pass your classes and more. In his novel, orwell invents the concept of the big brother, the leader of the nation who surveys and follows each citizen, no matter how mundane or ordinary their tasks and daily deeds are.
With the related concept of the unknown soldier, it is the soldiers physical remains, or dead body, that cannot be identified. In this situation, all i was, was number 3, waiting in line to compete. Auden uses simple diction to represent the simplicity of the unknown citizens life. Production of course ware for undergraduate subjects cec english project investigator. The war referred to here could be world war i, which made a huge impact on the psyche of europeans like auden.
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. It comes under the genre of dramatic literary ballad, for it is. 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. The unknown citizen he is the modern man with his anonymous life, the state our is the totalitarian state, which imposes itself by force, subtly. Auden 1 have you ever felt as though you have been reduced to a number.
The poem is very similar to the novel 1984 written by george orwell. Auden, uses irony to show how a persons well being does not depend on statistics or the praising of a government. Come browse our large digital warehouse of free sample essays. Auden in 1939, shortly after he moved from england to the united states. Explain the main theme of the poem the unknown citizen by w. Modern man the unknown citizen auden essays research. Auden best describes him as an average citizen when he writes, and had everything necessary to the modern man auden 20. Get an answer for in audens the unknown citizen, why was the citizen unknown. Sometimes war is inevitable and necessary, but sometimes its not, and it sounds like the unknown citizen was not one to ask questions. Auden about suffering they were never wrong, the old masters.
It is celebratory and grand yet in a mockinglike fashion that makes it a satire. Auden, presents multifarious universal themeslove, time and death. In audens the unknown citizen, why was the citizen unknown. 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.
Dec 11, 2009 the unknown citizen the unknown citizen by w. Auden during 1940, is a poem where the speaker, a representative of the state or government, directs a speech to the audience about a. 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. He is praised throughout the poem as if he has no flaws. By definition, the unknown citizen has no identity. 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 unknown citizen is a governments view of the perfect modern man in an unrealistic society. If an individual is to be recognised in society, he needs to swerve from the path of righteousness tne.
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. Throughout the poem the unnamed man is described as a saint. Starting with the title one gets the feeling of anonymity. Audens poem entitled the unknown citizen is a portrayal of a conflict between individualism and government control. In this, the state pays tribute and describes a successful and positive product of its efficiency and effectiveness. 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. Analysis of the unknown citizen english literature essay. An analysis of a satire in the unknown citizen by w. That it contains 104 auden poems guarantees the greatness of this everymans library pocket poets volume. The unknown citizen analysis activity o read the unknown citizen by w. May 07, 20 thus, auden s the unknown citizen shows how the government makes each individual merely a number unless they do not conform to societys norms.
557 731 1085 786 439 748 287 254 439 114 1002 515 1558 101 391 386 1374 1222 561 1518 1642 472 28 862 914 1374 625 357 536 159 1109 572 519 467 576 745 143 640