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Analysis Of The Poem ' The Unknown Citizen '

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“The Unknown Citizen” by W.H Auden and “next to of course god america i” by e.e. cumming are two poems that deal with similar issues. They both address the issue of dying soldiers and blame blind patriotism for the deaths of these soldiers. The theme of both poems deals with the need for citizens to become more outspoken and follow their own beliefs instead of simply following their country. However, each poem addresses a topic that isn’t found in the other poem, and the poems themselves are structurally different. Auden’s poem is simply a description of a man who lived in the past. It is very reasonable to say that this man lived in the first half of the 20th Century, considering the fact that Auden states that the average person owned: “a phonograph, a radio, a car and a Frigidaire” (line 21). At the beginning of the poem, the man is described as a “saint” (4). However, as the poem/description continues, it becomes apparent that he was hardly a praise-worthy person. He was simply a man who did what he was told. In Bruce Meyer’s essay, he states that “the Unknown Citizen was a law-abiding veteran and union member who served his community through his very facelessness and his participation in a consumer society” (par. 9). He was never “odd in his views”, meaning that he was completely conformed to the views of the nation (Auden 9). The poem continues to describe this excessively normal man, and at the end of the poem, Auden writes: “Was he free? Was he happy? The question

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