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Citizens of Poetry

Citizens of Poetry. CO/ 13 A 426 KF/ 22 D 127 AD/ 04 L 560 NS/ 35 H 423. Overview. “The Unknown Citizen” by W. H. Auden Story of an average man as inscribed on his grave marker Satirical narrative portraying Government as an all-knowing, all-controlling entity

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Citizens of Poetry

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  1. Citizens of Poetry CO/ 13 A 426 KF/ 22 D 127 AD/ 04 L 560 NS/ 35 H 423

  2. Overview “The Unknown Citizen” by W. H. Auden • Story of an average man as inscribed on his grave marker • Satirical narrative portraying Government as an all-knowing, all-controlling entity • Through the use of point of view, tone, and irony Auden emphasizes the dangers of an industrialized society.

  3. Point of View Nameless Speaker • Represents the “State” or government • Includes the opinions of various organizations within the government i.e. the fictional “Bureau of Statistics”, Social Psychology workers, and researchers into Public Opinion (ln. 1, 12, 22). • Speaker unintentionally portrays a callous bureaucracy that destroys individualism and identity first noticeable in the title and “name” of the Unknown citizen “JS/ 07 M 378”

  4. Tone Just Business • Emulates an Employer giving an end-of-the-year performance review • Whimsical, form-free rhyme scheme • Creates a subconscious irony

  5. Irony Knowing the Unknown • Government, through the Speaker knows everything about the man except for his name. • Auden suggests that the government itemizes its citizens

  6. Conclusion • Depersonalization, a Warning • Auden illustrates the “ideal” a government would desire • Everyone serves a functional life and they will receive what they need • Auden’s purposes: • A Warning of what might be • An “inconvenient truth” of what is

  7. Citizens of Poetry • Editing/Presenting • C. Aaron Olague • Arrangement • Karen Frost • Writing • Noemi Sanchez • Almalinda Duran

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