Auden wystan hugh auden 19071973 is one of the most influential voices in 20th century poetry. During this time a mans possessions and status defined who he was. The unknown citizen is a governments view of the perfect modern man in an unrealistic society. The poem is very similar to the novel 1984 written by george orwell. Auden in 1939, shortly after he moved from england to the united states. 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. As a poet, auden is a chameleon capable of writing in many different forms and styles.
It is the epitaph of a man, identified only by a combination of letters. His bestknown poems include funeral blues, musee des beaux arts, and the unknown citizen. If an individual is to be recognised in society, he needs to swerve from the path of righteousness tne. Auden, presents multifarious universal themeslove, time and death.
British from birth, united states from 1946 education. Those who follow rules and are wedded to their principles remain unknown. 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. Audens title the unknown citizen is ironic because, in fact, much is known. The unknown citizen is a poem that is written in free verse. What is the theme of the poem the unknown citizen by w. Auden uses simple diction to represent the simplicity of the unknown citizen s life. 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.
In other words, it builds the character later described to the reader as the perfect citizen. His work is noted for its stylistic and technical achievements, its engagement with moral and political issues, and its variety of tone, form. Auden about suffering they were never wrong, the old masters. 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. 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. 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. Explain the main theme of the poem the unknown citizen by w. That, in the modern sense of an oldfashioned word, he was a saint, for in everything he did he served the greater community. 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.
Dec 11, 2009 the unknown citizen the unknown citizen by w. In this, the state pays tribute and describes a successful and positive product of its efficiency and effectiveness. The unknown citizen is a parody of an elegy a poem to commemorate. The speaker deduces that the unknown citizen must not have been a scab or had strange opinions simply because he paid the regular membership fees for his union. Hi, im in 8th grade doing an english assignment on the theme of the unknown citizen by w. Vocabulary find the opposite word by adding a prefix. The government sees him as a number on a file in a drawer in some government building. This is the extra credit portion of the poetry project for ap english literature. The unknown citizen this poem which was written by w. The unknown citizen, as i walked out one evening and musee des beaux arts. The poem was published in the new republic in 1939 and included in the.
Auden, is a commentary on government and the materialism of modern man. 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. In the unknown citizen auden is criticizing modern society because it is too personal. The unknown citizen analysis essaysthe poem the unknown citizen by w.
The unknown citizen poem by wystan hugh auden poem hunter. The unknown citizen, was written during world war ii in the 1940s. It describes an average citizen in a governmentcontrolled state. How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting for the miraculous birth, there always must be. Comments about the unknown citizen by wystan hugh auden akella s. Citizen his happiness than an automobile manual would have in. A prolific, englishborn poet, he is considered one of the greatest authors of the twentieth century. Auden uses simple diction to represent the simplicity of the unknown citizens life. The creation of irony in, the unknown citizen by w. Starting with the title one gets the feeling of anonymity. 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.
In the unknown citizen the government has manipulated human intelligence to the. 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 poem can be read easily and does support the title name. 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. It also ties in elements of an omnipotent government which was a popular belief at the time because throughout the. Auden was admired for his unsurpassed technical virtuosity and ability to write poems in nearly every imaginable verse form. 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, was written in 1940 and that era can be seen in certain stanzas. The unknown citizen questions yhalit leon the unknown. Auden is about the sort of new view of your average joe in the 20th century and also in a sense the sort of monotony and drollness of that type of life style. Auden, written in 1939 and first published in 1940. 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.
May 07, 20 the poem the unknown citizen written by w. Audens poetry was noted for its stylistic and technical achievement, its engagement with politics, morals, love, and religion, and its variety in tone, form and content. The unknown citizen does not follow a standard rhyme scheme. If someone were to write a poem on a monument dedicated to you, what would it say. Auden is a 32 line poem that utilizes a number of different rhyming patterns.
False the only reason the unknown citizen was a saint was because there was no. 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. Auden portrays a community which follows basic communist rules. In his famous poem, the unknown citizen, the celebrated englishamerican poet w. 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. One against whom there was no official complaint, and all the reports on his conduct agree. The point of a union is to protect the rights of the factory workers, but, if left to their own devices, they can just suck up peoples money and give back nothing in return. The unknown citizen the marble monument erected by the state or town is usually of a hometown hero. Audens poem entitled the unknown citizen is a portrayal of a conflict between individualism and government control. It is impossible to summarise his achievements, ranging as they do across some four hundred poems in a bewildering variety of styles, as well as drama, essays, libretti, travel writing and critical works. Auden, wystan hugh the unknown citizen appunto di letteratura inglese, con analisi dettagliata di una tra le piu significative ed intense poesie di w. The person is almost always someone who did well for the country and originated from a certain town.
The unknown citizen was written by the british poet w. Auden 1 have you ever felt as though you have been reduced to a number. 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. Auden also uses this concept in the unknown citizen. Auden s poem entitled the unknown citizen is a portrayal of a conflict between individualism and government control. September 1, 1939 refers to the date on which german troops invaded poland and began the second world war. The statue is almost never of someone who is just an ordinary man living life just like everyone else around him. Analysis of the unknown citizen english literature essay. In this situation, all i was, was number 3, waiting in line to compete. In other words, it builds the character later described to the reader as the perfect cit. 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. Audens poem the unknown citizen, he uses irony to make the reader think about what the unnamed man thought about his life.
904 493 1428 1422 1079 1441 862 1065 397 901 1146 664 293 618 1077 1106 1029 1163 708 1094 780 192 350 1530 509 575 760 17 276 1237 683 296 238 204 1222 794 1303 1472