By: Gabbi, Richie and Brennan The Unknown Citizen By: Gabbi, Richie and Brennan

Thesis Auden explores the relationship between governmental control and happiness.

Speaker Overview: Auden uses the speaker as an analyst of the unknown citizen in an obituary like fashion allows Auden to emphasize the idea that we are all pawns to a greater community middle ground between obituary and analytic report leads to development that the government potentially does care to an extent although it is monotone

Sense: Mood Overview: The mood is reminiscent which relates to the obituary -like fashion of the overall poem which allows for Auden to emphasize the general idea of how death is looked at. Auden is emphasizing the life The Unknown Citizen once had whether it be in a literal or metaphorical sense. Reminiscence opens doors to the interpretation of emotional connection, something a governmental agency should lack

Structure: Modern pt.1 Overview: Modern poetry commonly uses Storytelling, or a definite series of event, to convey messages or themes. Unlike other poets, Auden reflects on a more modern way of poetry Aspects of Modern Poetry: Story-like in nature A logical order of events Literal sense of language over metaphorical + This allows Auden to portray a more realistic view of the citizen rather than just a figurative aspect

Structure: Modern pt. 2 Overview: Modern Poetry also commonly uses opinions throughout the text to convey a bias or outlook on the speaker's world. Emotions and Opinions are commonly used in poetry but the use of an outside bias is not as common Auden uses the speaker and other speakers within the poem (ie. researchers) + The outside bias of Public Opinion and proper opinions gives the sense of mind control, or at least outside control of the citizens. Although the researchers are content with this, as to whether or not the public is truly content with this is unknown.

Style: Contradiction P1 The first Example of contradiction is seen through the analysis of the the title in relation to the content. The title The Unknown Citizen , gives the impression of a citizen whose name is unknown(obviously). This is contradicted by the content, which is super specific and includes information about every facet of the mans life. This begs the question, how can you get such a conclusive report on someone's life without their name? And how can you know so much about someone but not their name? Auden’s use of this contradiction is to explore the concept of governmental invasiveness and that there’s no interest in someone's life, but rather how that life related to their society.

Style: Contradiction P2 Another example of contradiction is a part of the text in relation to the rest of the text. Specifically lines 28 and 29 in relation to the rest. The poem is full of absolutes based off of the actions of the man’s lifetime, reported by the governmental agencies. There’s all these reports that conclude lived the ideal life, “In the modern sense of an old fashioned word, He was a saint”(line 4). But in lines 28 and 29 the questions are presented “Was he free?””Was he happy?” and they’re answered by “The question is Absurd; Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard”. Auden uses contradiction to explore the idea that one's actions aren't an indication of how they truly feel inside. His purpose behind this poem is to be a critique of the government and how they place more importance on one's actions and its impacts rather than their well being.

Sense: Tone Tone is a literary device apparent throughout the entire piece, and really gets established in lines 1-4. Tone is used to emphasis the idea of governmental control, the tone is almost robotic and purely analytical. Its an evaluation of someone's life rather than a reflection. It draws a sharp contrast from an obituary, which usually has a light hearted tone. Auden’s purpose is to enforce the theme of governmental control, and how the government doesn't care about citizens happiness, but rather what they contribute, and how they affect society.

Style: Rhetorical Questions The last two lines of the poem, connect directly to the thesis that there is a relationship between government control and the unknown citizen’s happiness. The two questions asked, “Was he free? Was he happy?” (Auden, 28) are rhetorical because throughout the poem the speaker informs the reader that the government questions there own ability to analyze emotion. The last line of the poem “Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard.” (Auden, 29) proves the theory that is presented that the government has complete access to everything in a person’s life. Even if they felt an emotion.

Style: Rhyme The rhyming couplet “retired” and “fired” in lines 6-7, allows Auden to convey the idea of governmental control through the government knowing all past career history within an unknown citizen’s life. These lines emphasize the fact that the government has access to all your information, work history, what you did on your free time,etc., but they don’t know or care what your name is. The government knows how efficient you are at a job and knows if your employer was satisfied by your labor or not, which really ties into the fact that government has control over everything you do and the knowledge of your happiness.

Style: Rhyme Another example of rhyming couplets relating to government control was insured and cured at the end of lines 16-17 which highlighted the idea that the government has access to a person’s entire archive of data. These two lines make it clear that the government has the power to check the policies taken out in someone’s name and inspect their health card. Also what’s interesting about this couplet is the fact that the first line talked about policies taken out in his name, but the title of the poem is unknown citizen. This really stresses that the government doesn’t care about someone’s name, only their information.

Conclusion Throughout all these aspects of the poem, Auden not only explores, but emphasizes the idea of governmental control and the happiness the citizens posses. This topic can be related to situations in history as well as politics in a modern sense.