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whats up

whats up In "The Unknown Citizen," Auden is implying that people are statistics and easily conformed to the normality of society. Throughout the poem, Auden portrays the character as being an all around normal citizen and "one against whom there was no official complaint." In lines 4 and 5, the speaker describes the character as a "saint" and "for in everything he did he served the Greater Community." He served in war, never got fired from his job, popular with his mates, and "normal in every way." Auden develops the theme by describing the character's life through the research of different bureaus, researchers, and psychology workers. Each one of these descriptions point to the same idea that the character is a normal and obedient citizen. In line 10, the Union reports showed that he "paid his dues" and "it was sound." The "researchers in Public Opinion are content that he held the proper opinions for he time the time of year; when there was peace, he was for peace; when there was war, he went." By using all these description from state bureaus and agencies, the author suggests to the reader the manner on which the character was looked upon by society and how he conformed to it. Also, by focusing on the descriptions of the character's life, the readers become more aware of their own lives and how their lives compare to his. This makes the poem intriguing and brings a more personal affect towards the reader. One literary device the author uses is symbolism. This poem was written in 1940. During this time period the common occupation was a factory worker. In line 8, "Fudge Motors Inc" is the factory that the character works for. Also, in line 26, the character had "a phonograph, a radio, a car and a frigidaire." These were all the things "necessary to the modern man." Auden uses these cultural symbols to accentuate the main idea of the poem. He wants the reader to realize the commonality of the character's lifestyle. 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 should certainly have heard. Auden is implying that under the surface of the statistical "Unknown Citizen," he might have been a complex or even a troubled individual, but that would be absurd because he is so common in every other way. Bibliography:

Word Count: 720