The poem
(To JS/07/M/378/ This Marble Monument Is Erected by the State)
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 oldfashioned 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 Installment 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.
Isn't it interesting that the poem list all the facts about this everyday average blue collar worker but he's still "unknown"? He's unknown b.c we don't know him as a human being. Here's an example...Think of your grandmother or grandfather. Just another life on this planet. If you don't know that much about them, pick somebody else. I'll choose my grandmother. She was a wonderful human being. Very loving, funny,…
Read the whole commentIsn't it interesting that the poem list all the facts about this everyday average blue collar worker but he's still "unknown"? He's unknown b.c we don't know him as a human being. Here's an example...Think of your grandmother or grandfather. Just another life on this planet. If you don't know that much about them, pick somebody else. I'll choose my grandmother. She was a wonderful human being. Very loving, funny, and lived her life with a positive attitude. My children however, will not know her. Sure, they'll know when she lived, what she did, how many kids she had, etc. But they won't know what you could do to make her mad and then how to make her happy again to make up for it. I knew how to do that. She was a big part of my life, but my children won't experience that. Just like this unknown citizen. It's like that old saying " To the world you may be one person, but to one person you're the world" This man meant something to some people. But what does he mean to us?
If you can sent me the selected poems of W.H.Auden,
for I am very interesting in his poems.
you aren't supposed to take this poem literally. the "unknown citizen" refers to the average man back in the time when the poem was written. I believe that this poem has a great message about how things were around that time, people were just a number or a statistic.
The poem goes deeper than just conveying how people we or we not recognized at the time; Auden wanted to comment on the governement and its controlf over almost everything. He wanted to comment on how we are closer to socialism than ever before, and that it is like a hive: a bunch of mindless amotrons that make up a bigger entitiy.
The poem is a ongoing reflection of every day people to a government. it opened my eyes to what "democracy" and "communist” and "socialist" govs. Have in common; they have in common what they wish to deny
Great Poem...Every Time I read it...I get a totally different perception of the poem. Auden's work is truely absorbing...I keep wondering what JS/07/M/378 means...
Suicide!
I think the poem is about someone who committed suicide! The questions we ask after the fact when we know someone who has committed suicide are similar to the poem.
i really liked the poem, but think its very sad yet also very true how this man was mainly a statistic.to some he was special, but to the ones in charge (the government) he was nothing but a statistic. he led a good life and supported his country, but will still only be remembered as a statistic, a dot on the board along with many others who will never be recognized as anything more.
This is a poem about an ordinary amarican citizan.The poem opens-To Js/07/M/378.... Here Auden shows that to the state he is just a number in their statistics.This number he was given by the govenment is similar to a number given to a prisoner who is imprisoned in a state prison.The use of a number on the"Unknown Citizens" grave actualy answers the questions asker in the line before the last- "Was he free?","Was he…
Read the whole commentThis is a poem about an ordinary amarican citizan.The poem opens-To Js/07/M/378....
Here Auden shows that to the state he is just a number in their statistics.This number he was given by the govenment is similar to a number given to a prisoner who is imprisoned in a state prison.The use of a number on the"Unknown Citizens" grave actualy answers the questions asker in the line before the last-
"Was he free?","Was he happy"
The unkown citizen felt that he was living a normal secure life but in truth he was under the controle and
manipulation of the govenment from ad's in the paper to political opinions.This is shown in the ironic last line of the poem-
"Had anything been wrong,we should certainly have heard."
this citizen is unknown,actually he is known by everyone, because "he" is everybody.
'the unknown citizen' stereotypes everybody into a set of code which enables him to be tracked simply by referring to the numbers and..voila, all of the upside down of his entire life are open for the authority's observation. i think this poem expresses silent 'rebellion' against the preservation of man's life data as the government can have a total control over his life--no freedom at all. i agree with smith that this poem refers to the everage man back in time it was written, yet it occured to me how similar does it sound....
Personally, I think it's about a man who has become a slave of his own reputation. He cannot change who he is because he is insecure. He fears that the people will not see him the same way if he does not live to their expectations. Yet, even though many admire him for being such, he cannot like himself. His true desires cannot be satisfied because his desire to keep his reputation is stronger. He realizes that he is a weakling and hates himself for it. But, to keep his reputation, he keeps every little complaint underneath the surface.
In my opinion, this poem reflects on how we all get engulfed in the consumer's race. This poem was written after Auden had moved to the US, and experienced the growing materialism. He questions wether we are getting more free and happy, as we consume more and more.
its ga-rossss!!! i think this dude was on crack!! hes a totally creepy dude!!fudge packing means male prostitue!!
I read this poem and thought... hmmm i wonder what happened to "him" i really want to know! but then i realized i do know, because he is everyone who works for a cause and everyone who is evaluated over and over again and considered average on not a danger. i beleive Auden has written this poem to show everyone this.
Well this poem was quiteintresting and also quite well thought of well it was all so grose and disturbing!
i had to read this peom a few times to figure out that this unknown citizen wasn't the model american. but a conformist to what the government and the social system want us to believe. All of us are rapped up in every way to what other people think about us. I find myself being the same way. Is there any hope for todays society? i can only pray that there will be
had good meaning but didn't have good feeling
the poem is fantastic in describing people as tools of the state despite being somewhat dehumanising. i am pleased to say, as a youngster that we are creative children of the revolution and that this description does not apply to modern day. not in my bubble anyway.
I'm currently writing an essay on this brilliantly subversive poem. I believe Auden influenced George Orwell's work "Ninety Eighty-Four" as well as Huxley's "Brave New World" and a slew of movies of recent years! I believe the JS stands for John Smith [your 'average Joe' in english terms!] and I was tickled to see a similar de-personalising referencing system in 1984 for the lead character Winston Smith.
have you ever thought about connection with totalitarism? look at '1984' by Orwell, or 'Brave New World' by Auden. can you see any linkages?
This poem reflects what used to be and still very much is the unknown soilder-fighting and kiling and dieing in vain, for his nation, but not really for any reason. Its about how people give up thier liberties and conform for luxeries and "frigidairs". "People who sacrifice liberty for security deserve nither" ML. King, Auden's point. It is a mock of north american life and i beleive it applys to us piticulary, and more and more, as our "reactions" to the media are typical, in the scence that we take in all of the story and not enough of the truth. We should all question what were told criticaly before making conclusions, and in by doing so take back our power and liberties!
This poem is about the anonymity of life.
To: Monika & katie,
What's up with the spelling and capitalization errors in your comments? I find it very distracting trying to wade through all the juvenile IM comments. Yes, I am an English teacher.
from the title itself he must be a good man whom a unknown man/citizen yes,and somehow the book of his life had been unwrapped by this so-called Bureau of Statistics with no any complaint do his job very well and was said "That, in the modern sense of an oldfashioned word, he was a
saint" but not totally a saint that we used to understand.because i believe he wasn't happy of the life he has or even free because if he do the poet should have not written or asked.but i really had an explanation why i said so because in my own he is bearing this kind feeling which he couldn't say or make someone feel it.*
.,wii.,
.,actually when i read the poem it was hard for me to understand.,and i wondered why this man was named as "the unknown citizen".,in fact it was stated there in the poem that he was popular with his mates,.,in addition to that he also did his well in his jobs and satisfied his employers..,and yes!.,maybe he was just a stranger that was thrown to that place.,and spent all his time in staying to that place where he also live with his own family,.=)
.,in that poem also maybe the man commit suicide.,
A bit of irony and a nice lesson
The first time I read this poem, I felt a strange eerie sensation. The title of the poem itself is weird...It doesnt add up...but as I dug in deeper, I realized it was to put some thrill and excitement! The reason why the man was called "the unknown citizen" because all he did was normal...All you could expect from the norm suits him the best! Thats the extra-ordinariness! Can anyone easily copy him? No, he did…
Read the whole commentThe first time I read this poem, I felt a strange eerie sensation. The title of the poem itself is weird...It doesnt add up...but as I dug in deeper, I realized it was to put some thrill and excitement! The reason why the man was called "the unknown citizen" because all he did was normal...All you could expect from the norm suits him the best! Thats the extra-ordinariness! Can anyone easily copy him? No, he did those normal things perfectly, thus making him like a "saint". In imagination, the man was godly... In reality, its not..Its quite the opposite actually. When we do something seriously, we forget the word fun..to have fun with everyone..with work... If what we do is completely absolute, then why do we need a God to worship? So to speak, as soon as time needs peace, let there be peace, if time wants war, let there be war. :D That my friend is my own understanding from the poem...;)