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"The Unknown Citizen" by W.H. Auden
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"The Unknown Citizen" by W.H. Auden

Introduction

The transcript introduces the poem "The Unknown Citizen" by W.H. Auden.

Poem Introduction

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  • The poem is titled "The Unknown Citizen" by W.H. Auden.
  • The monument is dedicated to a man with the identification number JS/07/M/378.

Description of the Citizen

This section describes the citizen's life and character.

Work Life

  • The Bureau of Statistics found no official complaints against him.
  • He worked in a factory until he retired, never getting fired, and was satisfied with his employer Fudge Motors Inc.
  • He paid his union dues and was not a scab or odd in his views.

Social Life

  • He was popular with his mates and liked to drink.
  • He bought a paper every day and reacted normally to advertisements.

Personal Life

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

Family Life

  • He had five children which eugenics says were the right number for a parent of his generation.

Education and Happiness

This section discusses education and happiness in relation to the citizen's life.

Education

  • According to a teacher's report, he never interfered with his children's education.

Happiness

  • The poem concludes that the question of whether he was free and happy is absurd, as there were no complaints against him.

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Video description

Music: Message To Bears - To Make A Portrait Speaker: Tom O'Bedlam (SpokenVerse) Full 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 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. Video: All royalty free from on Pexels.com #Auden #WHAuden