The phrase “The Unknown Citizen”, which is only mentioned once in the poem, is the one that will make the reader think the man’s identity is unknown. The speaker’s voice sounds like he is reading an eulogy to bring out the ironic contrasts of this poor person’s life. While the speaker compliments the man, his choice of words reveals a patronizing voice. The speaker talks about the person as if it were a young boy who was being taught by him. The reader receives a lot of information, but none is personal. This poem’s rhyme scheme makes it sound humorous, but the main tone is ironic and sarcastic. The speaker claims that they would’ve heard if something was wrong. When asked if a man was free or happy, the speaker says the question is absurd.
This poem has a complex diction. This poem could be analyzed over and over, and the reader would likely have a new opinion. Auden wants the reader wanting to know the answers to the questions. This poem has an unusual syntax. Line 5-6 says “For he always served the greater community.” This line states that the man lived a life of saintliness, except for his call to war. This poem also uses an old-fashioned vocabulary. For example, the man is said to possess “Everything a Modern Man Needs, A Phonograph, A Radio, A Car, And a Frigidaire”. The reader gets the impression that Auden wrote this poem probably during World War II.
This poem does not use many similes or metaphors. It’s almost as if it is deliberately unpoetic. Only the comparison with a “Saint” was used to compare the Unknown Citizen. The term “saint”, however, is religious, and the Unknown Citizen therefore cannot be a true saint except in a modern context. The man is described as having everything he needs in line 20 but does not mention the basics like food and water. This makes it a hyperbole.
Auden’s poem does not have many sound effects, or at least those that are noticeable. Most poets will use this as a way to stir up the emotions of their readers. He had a lot of chances to improve the poem. It was only the alliteration that I could pick out. In line 21, it says: “A car, a radio and a refrigerator” with the consonant A repeated.
The poem was not rhymed in a traditional way. The rhyme scheme is simple and changes every few lines. The poem starts with an ABAB rhyme scheme, then changes to a rhyming pair. After that he hops around a little. Lines 8-13 are ABBCCA. The rhyme scheme begins with “Inc.”. Auden’s ability to rhyme was not something I expected, but he did it in line 13. Since the two words were so far from each other, I was surprised to find out that they rhymed only after reading the poem several times. The anapest is a foot that consists two unstressed and one stressed beat. The beginning says, “He WAS FOUND BY THE BUReau OF STATistics.” . .”
The idea that this man’s identity is unknown is the main theme of the poem. The readers aren’t given any reason why this man is unknown. They have to figure it out themselves. This poem is based on the idea that a man lived according to the rules set by his parents. It is “right” to have a career, get married and start a new family. This is what we all believe is happiness. He was not different from other citizens. He was like everyone else. He did the same thing every day and bought the same items. In lines 23-24, the speaker goes so far as to say “That he had the right opinions for the season; When peace was in the air, he was pro peace: When war was in the air, he left.” This gives the impression that the man is a robot and lives life on autopilot.