The Unknown Citizen Explication Essay

Essentially a monologue set within a frame, this poem creates two personae. The anonymous author gives a brief introduction and conclusion. The Wanderer, an aging warrior, who roams the world seeking shelter and aid. The Wanderer’s monologue divides into two distinct parts, the first being a lament for his exile and the loss of kin, friends, home, and the generosity of his king. In nature, he finds absolutely no comfort, for he has set sail on the winter stricken sea. Poignantly, the speaker dreams that he is among his companions, and embracing his king, only to awaken facing the gray, winter sea, and snowfall mingled with hail.

The author was giving a message then at the end of the poem it changes. He was giving the message that war happens to everybody and that they will have to go to war at some point in there life. The problem is that they don’t know the bourdon that it puts on the people that he has supported and been supported by until his son is sent of. He gets a totally different feeling when he doesn’t know what could happen to his son. He gets his message across by proving that every body has something to do with war wether they like it or not. Your parents might have been to war, if not them then your uncles, cousins, friends, or your neighbors(old men). Then if it isn’t them it could be your child who is going and the feeling is different, you lose the feeling of security when you cant protect your child. He

In “The Unknown Citizen,” Auden is criticizing the way average citizens live their daily life. In this satire, JS/07/M/378 is dead and is being praised by the state in a eulogy. In a typical eulogy, the deceased person is praised for doing things that made him or her special. However, in this satire, JS/07/M/378 is praised for doing everyday activities that are done by many people, such as reading the newspaper or owning a car. “The Unknown Citizen” is meant to make the reader realize that he or she should live their life to the fullest as opposed to leading a dull life consisting of fitting in with everyone else.

The author describes this citizen as being an overall regular man in society, who did not change or impact the world by any means. He was a normal man who bought a paper every day

Every soldier that served in the United States is special because of their sacrifice and dedication towards our country. Their commitment exceeds over any other job. But some soldiers after the war are not found and they are lost. The guards that work and protect the memorial for those that are not found, play a big impact at the memorial. Every soldier that used to serve or is serving now is very important and special in their own way.

In These two poems the characters are mostly conformists and recently deceased people with no identity. In both poems they have characters with strong conformists. In “The Unknown Citizen” there is only one conformist, the unknown citizen himself. He is a perfect reflection of what the government of the state wants everyone to look like.

causes the poem to flow, and thus lightens up the dark and serious issue of war. The lines "But ranged as infantry, And staring face to face, I shot at him as he at me, And killed him in his place." are easy to read; however, their meaning is extremely

This quote looks into the side of humanity at where all seems good when bad. You’re “Running” and “leaping”, enjoying what seems to be right. Many problems in humanity, within one’s self, are from doing something wrong which may seem right at the time. Another quote from this poem, “One looked up, grinning, And said, “Comrade! Brother!” This quote shows the togetherness of humanity, but with edge. This poem shows both sides of humanity through all its verses. Every line can be interpreted into the good and bad of us

His uncertainty is the only real part of the poem as Auden’s character laments that “The less I feel/The more I mind” (commentary mag). The best works are pieces that make one think about their worth. Characters that seem to mean little actually have a lot to say with what they do as well as their words. Little happens, but the characters’ actions comment on major themes of the human being. Halting speeches and words take the reader inside of the mind as frailties become clear.

Nevertheless, the poem has a universal meaning in which humanity should not fear the unknown, but they should confront it. At the beginning of the poem, the speaker argues to not go peaceful by using aggressive choice of words. He uses very calm words, followed by explosive ones that portray

Was he happy?”. He follows this up with a satirical answer, “The question is absurd: Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard”. This is a joke on the state. Auden is showing that the state knew nothing about this man. All they know is that he did not complain. Auden is showing that modern life is all about just going through the motions and conformity. People can be heroes if they just follow the mold that the government has set forth. This is what Auden is upset about. This man that just went along with everything, he followed and conformed to what the state desired. He was not free; he was “normal in every way”. The only way that the state can judge this man is by statistics, they have no idea if he was happy or believed in what he was doing. They know that he was very normal, he was conventional. The poem satirizes how the government is using statistics to judge weather someone is a hero or not. Everything he did was morally acceptable, and that is why he is a hero.

The main idea in the short story, The Unknown Citizen, is about an overly controlling government that regulates every aspect of a citizen’s lives. Each of the branches of this government declared this unknown man was a hard worker, nice, and served the greater community because he was part of a whole and had lost his individuality. Much as in The Unknown Citizen, society is leaning towards a too strong government. The main ideas of this poem reflect a very real society that is filled with complacent and controlled citizens through the world of the internet.

The years between 1930 towards the mid 1940s proved to be a tumultuous yet pivotal time in American history for a number of reasons. The rise of Ford as the largest vehicle manufacturer became apparent, (“Ford”, par. 7) along with the rising popularity of radios, phonographs and frigidaires. And the event that perhaps was the most substantial of them all: World War 2. As these events transpired, the face of America as a nation shifted in all arenas politically, economically and socially, garnering the attention of its citizens as well as the attention of citizens of other foreign countries. One of those individuals was renowned English poet, Wystan Hugh Auden (W.H Auden). Born in York, England in 1907, he moved to the United States in 1939

The government commends its citizens only when they do not interfere with the state’s agenda. In this poem, one specific man is what the state considers an ideal citizen, so they build a monument for him after he dies. The words of this poem are their tribute to this citizen for his respectable life. Their ideal citizen, though, is one who blindly follows their rules; for example, they check all the reports on his conduct and call him a “saint” because they see no official complaints against him (line 4). They also say he had “the proper opinions for the time of year” (23). Basically, they are happy that his opinions matched theirs, whether it be in politics, education, or war. The last line of the poem neatly summarizes the government’s motives. The speaker of the poem says, “Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have

The speaker declares, “That, in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a Saint,” (4). The official labels the man as a saint, yet saint is defined as someone praised for their virtue or morality after death. However, the government does not know or care enough to understand the man’s views or beliefs. Likewise, the government's deceptive relationship exhibited in the title of the poem, “The Unknown Citizen”, represents of all the citizens who are neglected by their officials. In the same way that government does not know the name of the unknown man, the officials do not care to understand their