Another device that Auden uses is alliteration. In line 29, the speaker said "that he held the proper opinion for the time of year; when there was peace, he was for peace; when there was war, he went." The alliteration, "when there was war he went" enhances the meaning of the poem because it emphasizes to the reader the type of citizen the character was and the conformity of the character. Auden also uses visual imagery to contribute to the meaning of the poem. Almost every single line is effective in describing the character's life, his personality, and how he lived. For instance, in line 13, the "Social Psychology worker found that he was popular with his mates and liked a drink." Another example is in line 30, the character is " married and added five children to the population," which was the "right number for a parent of his generation." All these descriptions of the character lead to the main idea. These visual images enhance the meaning of the poem because it signals to the reader that the character is a typical citizen, nothing more. By using imagery, Auden makes the reader imagine the type of citizen the character was.The tone of the poem is ironic and slightly despairing. The author develops the tone through the character's life. By making the reader realize that the character was just an average guy, the tone becomes gloomy and despairing. It makes the reader think about their own lives and how "we" are actually seen in society. Are we only statistics in society, reviewed by bureaus, psychologists, researchers, and opinions? How easy is it for us to just fit into the model of "The Unknown Citizen"? Another reason why the poem is gloomy is because the poem is written in past tense. Auden uses the verb "was" to inform the reader that the character is dead. The irony of the poem is not developed until the last two lines. "Was he free?" "Was he happy?" The question is absurd: Had anything been wrong, we shoul...
