“The Unknown Citizen” follows a somewhat erratic rhyme scheme:
ababaccdeeffdgghhijjikmknnnoo
. The poem concludes with a closed couplet—two successive lines that contain a grammatically complete statement. The final word of each of these lines rhymes with one another.
What is the rhyme scheme of The Unknown Citizen?
“The Unknown Citizen” follows a somewhat erratic rhyme scheme:
ababaccdeeffdgghhijjikmknnnoo
. The poem concludes with a closed couplet—two successive lines that contain a grammatically complete statement. The final word of each of these lines rhymes with one another.
Is The Unknown Citizen free verse?
Auden uses irony, allusion, and irregular rhyme in his free verse poem “The Unknown Citizen” to analyse the fulfilment of the America Dream.
Is The Unknown Citizen a dramatic poem?
Remember that this is a
dramatic poem
, and the fictional speaker is a government bureaucrat, so we would expect it to sound a bit corny, like something you might read on a greeting card…or a monument.
What is the theme of the poem unknown citizen?
In the poem “An Unknown Soldier,” Auden speaks of
the dangers of modern society to the individual including anonymity, conformity, and government control
. The anonymity of the unknown citizen is shown in Auden’s repeated use of metaphor.
What is the situation in The Unknown Citizen?
“The Unknown Citizen” is
a sinister elegy delivered by the government for a man who has recently died
. There is tension between the contents of the elegy and the description of the man as “unknown.” In fact, this isn’t an unidentified man, but rather one whom the government seems to know everything about.
Is unknown citizen free and happy?
The citizen in “The
Unknown Citizen” was neither happy nor free
. … Had the unknown citizen been either of these things during his lifetime then the government would’ve known about it.
What is the irony in The Unknown Citizen?
The main type of irony used in “The Unknown Citizen” is
situational irony
. It is ironic that the state is honoring the situation of a man brainwashed into lockstep conformity. It is also ironic that the state is so indifferent to the citizen it is “honoring” that it does not know his name.
What did The Unknown Citizen do for a living?
The unknown citizen was working in a factory named fudge Motors Inc. until his retirement. He left his job only once
to join the army to fight for his country
. As a worker, he made all his employers satisfied and he had never got punished or dismissed.
On what basis unknown citizen was popular?
7) On what basis unknown citizen was popular? Ans:
he was popular with his mates and liked a drink. The Press is convinced that he bought a paper every day
. And that his reactions to advertisements were normal in every way.
Why is The Unknown Citizen unknown?
In the case of the unknown citizen of the poem, someone has died unknown because of the conformity that was imposed upon him by the government and society, a conformity he seems to have embraced, not worthy of our respect. … This particular person is unknown because
he is a complete conformist to social norms
.
What is the mood of The Unknown Citizen?
The
ironic tone
is made clear with the detail that the unknown citizen, who is having a monument erected to him, has never done anything brilliant or even heroic. In fact, he has done nothing to differentiate himself from the average person.
How is the average citizen shown in The Unknown Citizen?
Interpretation. “The Unknown Citizen” by W.H. Auden describes, through the form of a dystopian report, the life of an unknown man. By describing the “average citizen” through the eyes of various government organizations, the poem
criticizes standardization and the modern state’s relationship with its citizens
.
What is the conflict in The Unknown Citizen?
Several conflicts are dramatized in The Unknown Citizen, the most prominent being:
conformity of the middle class, government manipulation, and the loss of individualism to the standards of an average citizen
.
What is the significance of title The Unknown Citizen?
The concept of “The Unknown Citizen” suggests
that the lives of many normal people are so conventional and uneventful that they might as well be unknown or anonymous
. They’re just an empty suit or a face in the crowd. Of course, it’s only a metaphor.
Is there any symbolism in the poem The Unknown Citizen?
An uknown
citizen symbolizes the masses of men who go to war to lay down their lives for their country
(akin to “an uknown soldier). The monument erected in the citizen’s honor is a symbol of what this type of society values most: a citizen who follows the rules, follows their opinions, and never causes trouble.
