Introduction of the Poem “The Unknown Citizen”:
“The Unknown Citizen,” a lightly satirical lyric, first appeared in The Listener in August 1939 and was later reprinted in The Collected Shorter Poems (1950). The poem offers an ironic portrayal of the so-called ideal citizen within a modern, urban-industrial society.
It is structured as a catalogue of facts about an ordinary man, presented in the dry, impersonal language of an official report. Details such as his employment at the Fudge Motors factory, his trade-union affiliation, and even the newspaper he purchased are recorded as if drawn from social surveys.
Various bureaucratic and investigative bodies—like the Bureau of Statistics, Producers’ Research, and High-Grade Living—examine his life and unanimously conclude that he is perfectly average and entirely normal.
Summary of the Poem “The Unknown Citizen”:
Stanza 1:
He was found by the Bureau of Statistics to be
Once 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.
Explanatory Word – Meanings:
1. The unknown citizen = the unknown citizen is the ordinary average citizen in the modern industrialized urban society. There is no doubt that the author passes a satire on the modern craze for statistics, questionaries etc., for collection and facts and figures of a man so that the record of a man relating to his past and present life may be judged. On the basis of facts and figures his real personality and his nature can be judged. 2. He was found= it indicates as if citizen was merely an object. It also shows the insignificance of the citizen as an individual. 3. The Bureau of Statistics =dept. of the secret police. 4. There … complaint = the department of secret police found that unknown citizen was a man of pure conduct and he was neither a spy nor a dangerous man for the security of the state. 5. He was a saint = the reports of the secret police declared on the basis of their observation that the unknown citizen was a perfect man who obeyed the social rules and values, hence he was called a saint. 6. The Greater Community = society or the nation or state. 7. Got fired = he never committed any mistake; hence he was never dismissed from his post. 8. Satisfied his employers= the owners of his factory were happy and satisfied with his work and sincerity. 9. Fudge Motors, Inc. = the name of an imaginary company in which he worked. 10. Scab = a mean, worthless fellow. 11. Odd = eccentric; whimsical. 12. Views = political views. 13. For his union … dues= according to the reports of his Trade Union, he paid his membership dues regularly. 14. Our report … sound= according to our secret police reports on his Trade Union, the reports of the union are trustworthy. 15. And our … liked a drink = research bureau on the workers’ social psychology reports that he was popular with other workers and liked to have a peg or so every day.
Paraphrase:
The poem presents an ordinary man who lived a strictly regulated life and was later honoured by the State. After his death, the authorities set up a marble memorial and inscribed on it only his identification number (JS/07/M/378), reducing his identity to statistics. Reports issued by the Bureau of Statistics certified that his life was satisfactory in every measurable way. Likewise, the Secret Police confirmed that he was neither a spy nor a threat to the State.
All official records agreed that his conduct was faultless and harmless to the Government. Detailed reports described him as someone who obeyed social rules and upheld accepted values. He was regarded as an ideal citizen, with nothing questionable in his behaviour, and was therefore labelled almost saint-like. Like any average individual, he placed the interests of society and the nation above all else, dedicating his actions to the State.
He worked in a factory throughout his life, except during the period of the First World War, and continued until his retirement. During his service, he never gave his employers any reason to dismiss him, as he was sincere, efficient, and beyond reproach. His employers were fully satisfied with his performance and praised his discipline and conduct. He was neither dishonest nor politically unconventional. Trade Union records showed that he regularly paid his dues, and Secret Police reports confirmed the reliability of these records.
According to the State’s social psychologists, he was a sociable person who was well liked by his co-workers. They also noted, in their detached manner, that he enjoyed having a drink or two each day—another fact carefully recorded as part of his officially approved life.
Stanza 2:
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 Installment Plan
And had everything necessary to the Modern Man,
A gramophone, 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.
Explanatory Word – Meanings:
1. The press … every way the newspaper= men had no complaint against him because he bought the newspaper regularly and reacted normally to the advertisement given in the paper. 2. The press= the newspaper boys; the newspaper – men. 3. Convinced = were confident. 4. Policies … insured = insurance policies taken on his life showed that his life was fully insured. 5. Insured = secured. 6. And his health … cured = his health card showed that he seldom fell ill. He was hospitalized once and got recovered soon. 7. Health – card= the card on which record of health was mentioned. 8. But left it cured = once he was shifted to the hospital but he did not remain there for longer and soon returned after being healthy. 9. Producers Research…living= names of the two imaginary firms engaged in the market for surveying about the likes and dislikes of consumers to promote sales of consumer products. 10. He was … plan= he got great benefit of installment schemes launched by different companies and he bought many things on installments. 11. Fully sensible= he was fully aware of the advantage of the installment plan. 12. Had everything … man= he possessed everything necessary to the modern man, namely, a gramophone record player, a radio, a car, and a refrigerator. 13. Frigidaire= refrigerator. 14. Our researchers … of year= he had no firm opinion, his opinions an opportunist. The sentence is ironical. 15. Eugenists= scientists who study the problems of population – control. 16. He never … education= this shows the passivity of the citizen. He never went beyond the words of his teachers. He remained in a limited circle of study. He learnt whatever his teachers taught him. 17. Was he free? … heard= there is total regimentation in modern industrialised society. Man loses all individuality, and becomes a mere number. He must conform to the accepted pattern, as any deviation from it will be regarded as abnormality and eccentricity.
Paraphrase:
The newspapers record shows that boys and men admired him because he was a habitual reader. He read all kinds of news, important as well as trivial, and even reacted to the advertisements printed in the papers. His responses were considered normal and appropriate. His life was well protected from unforeseen dangers as he had secured several insurance policies. He maintained good health throughout his life, as confirmed by his health records. Only once was he admitted to a hospital, but he recovered quickly and returned home without any lasting illness.
Both the Producers’ Research Bureau and the High-Grade Living Research Bureau concluded that he was fully aware of the benefits of installment schemes offered by manufacturers. He regularly purchased goods through such schemes. All the consumer products regarded as essential for a modern, high-standard lifestyle were found in his home. He welcomed the installment system and acquired items like a radio, phonograph, car, and refrigerator in this manner.
Reports from the Secret Service on public opinion stated with satisfaction that his political views always matched those officially approved by the State at that particular time. He accepted whatever beliefs were presented to him. He adjusted himself according to circumstances—supporting peace during peaceful times and participating in war when war was declared. Following the directions of the State and population experts, he married and became the father of five children.
His academic records revealed that he never caused problems for his teachers. He obeyed their instructions faithfully and never deviated from the prescribed course of study. At the end, the poet raises a question: was this so-called unknown citizen truly free and happy? The poet answers sarcastically that such questions are irrelevant. Since the man never complained and was never heard criticizing the system, he was labeled an ideal citizen. In reality, he lacked individuality and independent thought, qualities that might have set him apart from the rest.
Critical Analysis of the Poem “The Unknown Citizen”:
Introduction:
“The Unknown Citizen” was first published in The Listener in August 1939 and later appeared in The Collected Shorter Poems (1950). The poem offers an ironic portrayal of an ordinary individual living in a modern, urban–industrial society.
Written in the form of an epitaph, it is engraved on a marble monument raised by the state in honour of a citizen identified only as JS/07/M/378. Through this device, the poem reveals how, in a highly regulated and totalitarian system, the common citizen is stripped of independent thought and freedom of expression. Auden sharply criticizes such a state, which compels individuals to conform and suppresses personal identity.
Thought – content:
The poet presents his ideas through the figure of an unnamed man. This individual dies in a war, and in his honour the state raises a memorial to the “unknown citizen.” Throughout his working life, no complaint was ever recorded against him. He remained obedient to the system and faithfully followed its rules. Official reports describe him as an ideal, well-behaved person who performed his duties efficiently and never caused inconvenience to anyone. He was always willing to contribute to society and carried out his responsibilities with complete honesty.
He was neither scolded nor penalised at any point, and his employers consistently expressed satisfaction with his performance. Nothing about his conduct appeared unusual or suspicious. He regularly paid his union fees, and the union itself was certified as a harmless and well-managed body that posed no challenge to management. His dutiful nature helped him maintain friendly relations with others.
In his personal life, he enjoyed drinking and made it a habit to read the daily newspaper. His responses to advertisements were considered perfectly normal. He owned insurance policies and was fully covered. His medical records showed that he had been admitted to hospital only once. He purchased goods on instalments, believing them essential to a modern lifestyle. He kept pace with the times, shaping his opinions according to ideas promoted by newspapers and mass media.
In times of peace, he supported peace, and when war began, he marched to the battlefield like countless others. His family life was no different from that of millions of ordinary people. As a student, he was obedient and never challenged his teachers. In the end, such a life leads to the loss of personal identity, freedom, and true happiness.
A Satire on the Modern Society:
Auden offers a sharp satire of contemporary society, portraying it as a world emptied of religious faith and genuine human values. This society is driven largely by materialism, a force that ultimately leaves modern individuals dissatisfied and restless. According to Auden, the moral decay of society cannot be attributed solely to social structures; both the community and the individual share responsibility for this corruption.
The poem suggests that threats to freedom are not limited to poverty or authoritarian governments alone. Even within supposedly free capitalist societies, human liberty is curtailed through more subtle and invisible controls.
As a result, the common individual becomes thoroughly conformist—obedient to authority, efficient in carrying out assigned duties, and highly responsive to advertising and political messaging. The “unknown citizen” thus represents the typical product of a modern society that values conformity over individuality.
Style and Language:
The poem is written in plain, uncomplicated language that communicates its ideas straightforwardly, without relying on subtle hints or obscured meanings. Its use of conversational diction and familiar references to everyday objects and institutions—such as refrigerators, radios, installment schemes, and trade unions—creates an immediate sense of familiarity for the reader.
Structurally, the poem employs free verse, occasionally incorporating alternating or couplet-like rhymes. The overall movement of the poem arises from a tension between metrical stress and prose-like flow; although the prose rhythm consistently dominates each line, it remains vivid and strongly effective throughout. It can be evident from the last two lines:
“Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd,
Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard.”