Chelsea WagnerSarah Salzman

Period 5/6

Early interest in science and engineering; however, his interest in poetry made him switch his field of study to English

In 1928, Eliot accepted Auden's verse play Paid on Both Sides: A Charade for publication in his magazine Criterion.

Became a teacher when he moved back from Berlin to England, then became US citizen in 1939

Auden won numerous honors and awards, such as Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award

Burried in Poet’s corner in Westminster Abbey

British poets relied on familiar verse forms Americans experimented with new forms and ideas of

poetry Much dealt with political/cultural subjects

War Socialism Depression

Poetic Characteristics Hopelessness/despair Sense of loss Meaninglessness Fragmentation

Dehumanization- to deprive of human qualities or attributes; divest of individuality

He was found by the Bureau of Statistics to be One against whom there was no official complaint, And all the reports on his conduct agree That, in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a saint, For in everything he did he served the Greater Community. Except for the War till the day he retired He worked in a factory and never got fired, But satisfied his employers, Fudge Motors Inc. Yet he wasn't a scab or odd in his views, For his Union reports that he paid his dues, (Our report on his Union shows it was sound) And our Social Psychology workers found That he was popular with his mates and liked a drink. The Press are convinced that he bought a paper every day And that his reactions to advertisements were normal in every way.

Policies taken out in his name prove that he was fully insured, And his Health-card shows he was once in hospital but left it cured. Both Producers Research and High-Grade Living declare He was fully sensible to the advantages of the Instalment Plan And had everything necessary to the Modern Man, A phonograph, a radio, a car and a frigidaire. Our researchers into Public Opinion are content That he held the proper opinions for the time of year; When there was peace, he was for peace: when there was war, he

went. He was married and added five children to the population, Which our Eugenist says was the right number for a parent of his

generation. And our teachers report that he never interfered with their

education. Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd: Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard.

Lines 1-3

He was found by the Bureau of Statistics to be

One against whom there was no official complaint,

And all the reports on his conduct agree

Lines 4-5

That, in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a saint,

For in everything he did he served the Greater Community.

Lines 6-8

Except for the War till the day he retired

He worked in a factory and never got fired,

But satisfied his employers, Fudge Motors Inc.

Lines 9-11

Yet he wasn't a scab or odd in his views,

For his Union reports that he paid his dues,

(Our report on his Union shows it was sound)

Lines 12-15

And our Social Psychology workers found

That he was popular with his mates and liked a drink.

The Press are convinced that he bought a paper every day

And that his reactions to advertisements were normal in every way.

Lines 16-21

Policies taken out in his name prove that he was fully insured,

And his Health-card shows he was once in hospital but left it cured.

Both Producers Research and High-Grade Living declare

He was fully sensible to the advantages of the Instalment Plan

And had everything necessary to the Modern Man,

A phonograph, a radio, a car and a frigidaire.

Lines 22-27

Our researchers into Public Opinion are content

That he held the proper opinions for the time of year;

When there was peace, he was for peace: when there was war, he went.

He was married and added five children to the population,

Which our Eugenist says was the right number for a parent of his generation.

And our teachers report that he never interfered with their education.

Lines 28-29

Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd:

Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard.

Lines 1-3 Ironic tone Satiric portrait of average citizen

Lines 4-5 “saint”

Old-fashioned sense means overcomes challenges, individual

Modern sense is one who is anything but extraordinary

Lines 6-8 Shows how average the citizen is

Lines 12-15 Normalcy

Lines 16-21 Continues to tabulate the characteristics of the

“modern man” Lines 22-27

Clearly states how normal the citizen is Mass organizations have power Two aspects of the central theme:

The cold and detached “scientific” approach organizations employ to collect “information” on individuals

Controlled conformity such groups desire Lines 28-29

Encourages citizens to identify happiness and freedom by its own terms

Poem ends on an ironic note

1. Who is the speaker in this poem?2. Can you identify one personality trait or

physical feature of the Unknown Citizen? 3. How does this poem make you feel after

you read it?

1.The Government2.No, they speak of

him as a number. Based only on the fact that he acts just like the masses and not an individual.

3. Personal Interpretation

Theme satire

Form- Free Verse Definition: verse with no metrical pattern Uses rhyming lines

ABAB pattern for lines 1-5 Then has glitches in the pattern throughout the

rest of the poem Lines 8 and 13 rhyme instead of 8 and 9

Think about the following…-What would _______ say about you if you suddenly died?

Family/Friends?School?Government?

"Auden, W. H. (1907-1973)." EXPLORING Poetry. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003.Student Resource Center - Bronze. Gale. North Allegheny Senior High School. 13 May. 2009 <http://find.galegroup.com/srcx/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC

&type=retrieve&tabID=T001&prodId=SRC3&docId=EJ2114100171&source=gale&srcprod=SRCS&userGroupName=pl2552&version=1.0>.

"Explanation: The Unknown Citizen." EXPLORING Poetry. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resource Center - Bronze.

Gale. North Allegheny Senior High School. 13 May. 2009<http://find.galegroup.com/srcx/infomark.do?

&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T008&prodId=SRC3&docId=EJ2114732485&source=gale&srcprod=SRCS&userGroupName=pl2552&version=1.0>.

W. H. Auden. "The Unknown Citizen." (2002). MagillOnLiterature Plus. EBSCO. North Allegheny School District, Pittsburgh, Pa. 13 May 2009 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mjh&AN=03 51000258&site=ehost-live>.