The Unknown Citizen is a poem written by W.H. Auden that addresses the concept of the "ideal citizen" in a sarcastic and ironic tone. The poem is written in the form of a government-issued epitaph for a man who is described as the "Unknown Citizen." The government lauds the man for being a model citizen, citing his obedience to the law, his willingness to work, and his absence of any criminal record. However, the poem implies that the man was not actually a model citizen, but rather a conformist who lived a mundane and unfulfilling life.
The poem suggests that the government values obedience and conformity over individuality and creativity. The man is praised for being "regular in his habits" and for "never having been in prison," but there is no mention of his personal interests or passions. The government only cares about the man's productivity and his ability to follow rules, rather than his actual well-being or happiness.
The poem also criticizes the government's lack of concern for the man's personal life. The man is described as having a wife and children, but there is no mention of his relationship with them or how they impacted his life. The government only sees the man as a number and a statistic, rather than a complex and multifaceted individual.
Overall, The Unknown Citizen is a critique of the dehumanizing effects of modern society and the government's tendency to prioritize efficiency and conformity over genuine human connection and fulfillment. The poem suggests that the "ideal citizen" is not necessarily a happy or fulfilled person, but rather someone who conforms to society's expectations and does not challenge the status quo.
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. Ans : The poem lists several items necessary to modern men such as the concept of Fudge Motors INC, Research, and High-Grade Living giving us a clue to the date of the poem's authorship. Man in this modern society is forced to fulfill ridiculous obligations to his employers 'union,' social psychology and "The Press". And our teachers report that he never interfered with their education. The Unknown Citizen is written in a clear and simple style and is free from obscure references which we find in a considerable measure in Auden's poetry. The Bureau of Statistics reports that no one has ever filed an official complaint against him. Remember that Auden wrote this poem during WWIIâwhen Nazi "eugenists" were murdering millions of Jews.
W. H. Auden: Poems âThe Unknown Citizenâ Summary and Analysis
Man becomes a mere mechanical adjunct to the various social and economic institutions which imperceptibly take control of him. SPEAKERSPEAKER SETTINGSETTING The poem is skewering modern society by taking things to an extreme conclusion, wherein there are bureaucratic departments devoted to optimizing every aspect of life, down to the number of children someone has. But not a saint likes St. In other words, he never did anything wrong. The "Modern Man" sounds like an mid-20th century advertising concept, and "Fudge Motors Inc.
A Short Analysis of W. H. Audenâs âThe Unknown Citizenâ
In the second set of lines the report continues. The title of Auden's poem parodies this. Why is the unknown citizen satire? During peace time he advocated the cause of peace, and when war broke out, he went to the front like many others. Hence a man is rendered as the state showed no respect to him, they left him unknown and unidentified which seems to be the destiny of the modern man. He had good health and although he went to the hospital once, he came out quite cured. AudenThe Unknown Citizen Summary by W.
The Unknown Citizen By W.H Auden Summary BBS 2nd year English Vision
He had no odd views. Freedom of expression is one of the most debated issues in recent years. Furthermore, a good citizen fights for his state whenever it is requiredâwithout questioning whether it is right to do so. Later in the poem, the speaker states that the unknown citizen "was fully sensible to the advantages of the Instalment Plan. Although he is a human, he has no time to fulfill his human feelings to serve his humanity. He also bought a newspaper every day.
The Unknown Citizen Summary by W.H. Auden
By asking these questions, the poet is drawing our attention to the question of freedom and happiness. This is part of the poem's overall ironicironic tone, the faceless state taking the place of what should be a loved one or a friend the normal speakers at this kind of solemn occasion. The Big Brother perspective begins from the very outset of the poem, with its evocation of a Bureau of Statistics. The poem is pretending to be an official celebration of a dead person: the Unknown Citizen. The Unknown Citizen, has no name; he has only a number, to whom the monument has been built and has been found to be without any fault. The Press are convinced that he bought a paper every day And that his reactions to advertisements were normal in every way.
Summary of The Unknown Citizen by W. H. Auden [Summary, analysis and answers]
The man, in the modern age, is losing his power of independent thinking. Ans : The modern sense of the word, "saint" is not to search for God but to serve the government perfectly. He contributed a lot for the sake of the nation but his contribution is not counted by the nation. In the final line, the speaker explains why the question is absurd: if things had been going badly for the UC, the State would have known about it, seeing as they know everything. If they are retired, the government with giving much respect should provide them an honorable job. Sometimes the poem uses rhymes one after another, creating neat and tidy couplets, and sometimes these rhymes sounds are more spread out. Lines 20-21 Section VI Lines 20-26 We always think we need more than we really do.
