3. ABOUT ME
The poet
Wystan Hugh Auden (1907-1973) was an English poet,
playwright, and essayist, widely regarded as one of the
greatest writers of the 20th century. Auden's poetry is
characterized by its technical mastery, intellectual depth, and
moral engagement with the world around him. His work often
explores themes of love, politics, and the human condition,
and he was known for his ability to blend high and low culture
in his writing. Auden's poetry is noted for its versatility and
range, encompassing everything from complex formal
structures to playful limericks. Some of his most famous works
include "Funeral Blues," "September 1, 1939," and "The Age of
Anxiety," which won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1948. In
addition to his poetry, Auden was also a prolific essayist and
literary critic, and he played a prominent role in shaping the
literary landscape of his time. His work continues to be widely
read and celebrated today.
4. To JS/07 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 old-fashioned word, he was a saint,
For in everything he did he served the Greater Community.
Except for the War till the day he retired
He worked in a factory and never got fired,
But satisfied his employers, Fudge Motors Inc.
Yet he wasn't a scab or odd in his views,
For his Union reports that he paid his dues,
(Our report on his Union shows it was sound)
And our Social Psychology workers found
That he was popular with his mates and liked a drink.
Poem
5. PoemThe Press are convinced that he bought a paper every day
And that his reactions to advertisements were normal in every way.
Policies taken out in his name prove that he was fully insured,
And his Health-card shows he was once in a hospital but left it cured.
Both Producers Research and High-Grade Living declare
He was fully sensible to the advantages of the Installment Plan
And had everything necessary to the Modern Man,
A phonograph, a radio, a car and a frigidaire.
Our researchers into Public Opinion are content
That he held the proper opinions for the time of year;
When there was peace, he was for peace: when there was war, he went.
He was married and added five children to the population,
Which our Eugenist says was the right number for a parent of his generation. And our
teachers report that he never interfered with their education.
Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd:
Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard.
6. SUMMARY
"The Unknown Citizen" was written by the British poet W.
H. Auden, not long after he moved to America in 1939.
The poem is a kind of satirical elegy written in praise of a
man who has recently died and who lived what the
government has deemed an exemplary life. This life,
really, seems to have been perfectly ho-hum—
exemplary only insofar as this man never did anything
to question or deviate from society's expectations. On
the one hand, the poem implicitly critiques the
standardization of modern life, suggesting that people
risks losing sight of what it means to be an individual
when they focus exclusively on the same status symbols
and markers of achievement (like having the right job,
the right number of kids, the right car, and so forth). The
poem also builds a frightening picture of a world ruled
by total conformity and state oppression, in which a
bureaucratic government dictates and spies on its
citizens' daily lives.
"The poem hence critiques the conformity and
dehumanization of modern society. The poem
describes a government agency or corporation
that has created a "model" citizen who conforms
to all societal norms and expectations. Despite
his conformity, the citizen is seen as a mere
statistic and is referred to only as a number. The
agency praises the citizen for being "normal"
and "satisfactory," and states that "our research
is complete." Through this poem, Auden
questions the value of individuality and free
expression and critiques the dangers of blindly
conforming to societal norms and expectations.
The poem is a powerful commentary on the
importance of maintaining one's individuality
and freedom of expression.
7. COVERED
Themes
Following are the themes covered across the poem:
Oppression, Surveillance,
and the State
Standardization and
Conformity
The theme of oppression, surveillance, and the state is central to W.H.
Auden's poem "The Unknown Citizen." The poem critiques a society that
values conformity and obedience to the state above individuality and
freedom of expression. The "model" citizen described in the poem is an
example of how the state can use surveillance and control to suppress
individuality and enforce conformity. The citizen in the poem is reduced
to a number, and his life is documented and evaluated by the state. The
poem suggests that the citizen's conformity to societal norms is not a
choice but a product of oppressive social conditions, where the state
uses surveillance and control to enforce conformity and suppress
individuality. Auden's poem highlights the dangers of a society that
values conformity over individuality and raises questions about the role
of the state in shaping individuals' lives. The poem suggests that a
society that values conformity and obedience over individuality and
freedom is not only oppressive but also dehumanizing. Through "The
Unknown Citizen," Auden offers a powerful critique of a society that
values conformity and obedience over individuality and freedom, and
warns against the dangers of a state that uses surveillance and control
to suppress individuality and enforce conformity.
The theme of standardization and conformity is a central aspect of
W.H. Auden's poem "The Unknown Citizen." The poem critiques a
society that values standardization and conformity over
individuality and personal expression. The citizen in the poem is
portrayed as a perfect example of a conformist, who fulfills all the
expected roles and obligations of a model citizen. The poem
describes the citizen's conformity to societal norms in great detail.
He is described as a "satisfactory" person who has a "properly
constructed" family, "normal" habits, and "right opinions." The
poem emphasizes the citizen's conformity to the expectations of
the state and the society, and suggests that his life is governed by
an external force that demands obedience and conformity.
Through this depiction of the citizen's life, Auden highlights the
dehumanizing effects of standardization and conformity. The poem
suggests that a society that values conformity over individuality is
oppressive and dehumanizing, as it reduces individuals to mere
statistics and suppresses their unique qualities and perspectives.
8. SYMBOLS
Bureaucratic Department
The poem makes numerous references throughout to different government (or government-affiliated)
institutions. The "Bureau of Statistics," for example, is tasked with making the assessment of whether
anyone ever complained about the unknown citizen. The banal-sounding, capitalized titles of these
institutions give an official air to something that is actually oppressive and sinister. Auden uses these
to satirize the bureaucratization and standardization of society, criticizing the intent behind these
government organizations. This intent, the poem implies, is to reduce life to data, and to know
everything about individual lives in a way that can be quantified, recorded, and analyzed.
9. SYMBOLS
The Modern Man
The citizen in the poem is described as a "model" citizen who has fulfilled all the expected roles and obligations of a
modern citizen. He has a "properly constructed" family, "normal" habits, and "right opinions." The poem emphasizes the
citizen's conformity to societal norms and expectations, which reduces him to a mere statistic and a symbol of the modern
man who has lost his individuality. The poem suggests that the modern man has become a mere object of study, a statistic,
and a cog in the wheel of society. The "Modern Man" is thus a symbol of shallow conformity. There is an emptiness to the
idea that what a modern needs can be summed up by a record player, radio, car, and a fridge—this is distinctly lacking in
any kind of individuality whatsoever. It is instead a hollow image of happiness, a false promise not dissimilar to the way
advertising and marketing sell people dreams of a better life. Ironically, this supposed achievement of individual
happiness—acquiring all the essential belongings of modern man—actually amounts to a kind of conformity
10. DEVICES
Poetic
Following are the poetic devices used across the poem:
alliteration IRONY
Irony is a key literary device used by W.H. Auden in his poem "The Unknown Citizen." The
poem is full of ironic statements that create a contrast between the idealized image of the
citizen and the reality of his life.
One example of irony in the poem is the title itself, "The Unknown Citizen." Although the
title implies that the citizen is unknown, the poem goes on to describe his life in great
detail, suggesting that he is known and accounted for by the state and society. This
contrast between the title and the content of the poem creates an ironic effect that
highlights the dehumanizing nature of modern society. Another example of irony is the
use of phrases like "satisfactory" and "normal" to describe the citizen's life. These phrases
suggest that the citizen's life is ideal and desirable, but in reality, they underscore the idea
that the citizen's life is mediocre and unremarkable. This creates a sense of irony that
critiques the dehumanizing effects of conformity and standardization in modern society.
The poem also employs irony in its description of the citizen's death. Although the state
recognizes the citizen's contributions to society and erects a monument in his honor, the
poem suggests that this recognition is ultimately meaningless, as the citizen's life was
characterized by a lack of personal expression and individuality.
W.H. Auden makes effective use of alliteration in his poem "The
Unknown Citizen" to create a musical quality that emphasizes key ideas
and themes. Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the
beginning of words in close proximity.
One example of alliteration in the poem is in the phrase "our Social
Psychology workers" in the third stanza, where the repeated "s" sound
emphasizes the bureaucratic nature of the state agency that is evaluating
the citizen's life. In the sixth stanza, Auden uses alliteration in the phrase
"The Press are convinced" to emphasize the role of the media in shaping
public opinion and enforcing conformity. The repeated "c" sound in this
phrase also creates a sense of certainty and finality. Overall, the use of
alliteration in "The Unknown Citizen" serves to emphasize key ideas and
themes, such as conformity, standardization, bureaucracy, and
consumerism. It creates a musical quality that draws attention to these
ideas and makes the poem more memorable and impactful.
