The poem the unknown citizen written by w.h Auden portrays from the point of view of the government what or how an ideal citizen should look like. This piece is written in third person omniscient to project a non-bias perspective and that way transmit the “truth” without being affected by feelings or personal point of views. Moreover at the end of the poem the author makes a relevant turn which effect is making the reader question himself if what was depicted before is the right thing‚ if that ideal
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Andrew Santilli Prof. Dettmer ENGL 1220-c1603 March 4‚ 2015 The Battle against Big Brother The poem “The Unknown Citizen”‚ by W.H. Auden‚ is about the ideal person that the government wants in their society. The man does everything the right way and always agrees with the government‚ whether they are at war or they are at peace. Although the man is a perfect citizen to the government‚ they do not even know what his name is. At the top of the poem‚ they refer to the man as “JS/07/M/378”(343) and
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In a brief essay‚ identify at least two of the implications implicit in the society reflected in the poem. Support your statements by specific references to the poem. The Unknown Citizen Comment [ANn1]: OK‚ so I need to IDENTIFY two implications implicit in the society. I need to make sure I’m speaking only to the society reflected IN the poem. I’ll make sure to quote the poem itself. by W. H. Auden (To JS/07 M 378 This Marble Monument Is Erected by the State) He was found by the
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Throughout time‚ society has had its ways of developing what is to be considered the Ideal Citizen. This Citizen consists of many traits that are favorable by the many. If someone were to encounter such an individual‚ they would respect them‚ hear others good praise about them‚ and possibly even admire them. They would likely give the viewer the impression of an enjoyable lifestyle‚ one that many would trade with their own. However‚ the ways in which society operates have made it easy to not notice
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English 112- Formal Essay 1 February 28‚ 2011 Morals‚ Personality and True Identity Ironic Symbolism is used to define the conflicts within “The Flea” by John Donne and “The Unknown Citizen” by W.H Auden by having a significant object‚ which is a flea and a monument‚ which represent a conflict that is portrayed throughout the poem. The flea represents three different arguments that are introduced in each stanza based on sex and the morals behind it. The monument in the “Unknown Citizen”‚ symbolizes the
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Themes of W.H. Auden’s "The Unknown Citizen" Conformity and Anonymity in the Modern World "Social Security Number? Birth date? Nine digit telephone number starting with area code? Mother’s Maiden Name?" In many ways‚ we are simply faceless numbers to modern society‚ not individuals with feelings and emotions and dreams. W.H. Auden‚ a well-known English poet and dramatist‚ discusses this important theme in his poem "An Unknown Soldier." Auden‚ being a modernist‚ is concerned with this modern idea
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"The Unknown Citizen" is an occasional poem. That is to say‚ it is a poem written to mark a specific occasion or event. The occasion is indicated in the lines contained in parenthesis that precede the body of the poem. As these lines indicate‚ the poem is a written monument that functions like a cenotaph: it commemorates a fallen man whose identity is unknown. However‚ unlike the soldier who falls in a battle of war‚ the battle this individual appears to be unwittingly a part of is a social battle
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The Poem "The Unknown Citizen" by W.H. Auden is a satire. Its narrator is the state. In this‚ the state pays tribute and describes a successful and positive product of its efficiency and effectiveness. In other words‚ it builds the character later described to the reader as "the perfect citizen." The narrator speaks as if he is delivering a speech or common tribute using words and phrases that are familiar to the reader. Using such imagery helps the reader paint a clear picture of the character
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“The Unknown Citizen” Analysis W. H. Auden’s “The Unknown Citizen” is a dark satire about what can possibly happen if political and bureaucratic principles corrode the creative and revolutionary spirit of the individual. The poem was also titled after “tombs of the unknown soldiers”‚ tombs that were used to represent soldiers who were impossible to identify since the end of World War I. Auden wrote the poem shortly after becoming a citizen of the United States. He came to
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are setting‚ conflict‚ theme and tone. The Unknown Citizen‚ written by W.H Auden‚ is a poem that will be compared with the lottery‚ written by Shirley Jackson. Both‚ the short story and poem‚ share 2 literature devices in common. They exhibit Irony and symbolism within them. The usage of both will be compared to acknowledge the similarities between the two different literature styles. Although they may not fall into the same genre‚ both the Unknown Citizen and The Lottery share common literature devices
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