The subtitle reads “ This Marble Monument is Erected by the State ” 2 so we can assume that the voice of the poem speaks for the State when says “in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a saint.” 3 “Saint” here is of course not meant in a religious sense, but that this unknown man was the perfect member of society. It appears to be an epitaph on a monument erected for an unnamed working man, presumably as thanks for his contribution to society. First published in The New Yorker in January of 1940, the poem appeared later that year in Auden’s first collection of poetry published in America, Another Time. Written in March 1939, “The Unknown Citizen” was one of the first poems Auden composed since coming to New York. For Auden’s beliefs I will mainly be referring to Edward Mendelson’s comprehensive biography on the poet titled Early Auden, Later Auden. I would like to explore the underlying themes in this poem-those being capitalistic exploitation, surveillance, and resulting lack of individuality-and how they point to Auden’s own sociopolitical beliefs. The poem is a clear reflection of Auden’s views on capitalism at the time. We are presented with an “unknown citizen,” this name appearing only in the title, who lacks any individuality. “The Unknown Citizen” is one of Auden’s many politically driven poems.
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