The Unknown Citizen W.H. Auden (To JS/07/M/378/ This Mar !

e Monu"ent #s $re%ted & the State' He was (ound & the )ureau o( Statisti%s to e *ne a+ainst who" there was no o((i%ia! %o",!aintAnd a!! the re,orts on his %ondu%t a+ree That- in the "odern sense o( an o!d(ashioned word- he was a saint.or in e/er&thin+ he did he ser/ed the 0reater Co""unit&. $1%e,t (or the War ti!! the da& he retired He worked in a (a%tor& and ne/er +ot (ired )ut satis(ied his e",!o&ers- .ud+e Motors #n%. 2et he wasn3t a s%a or odd in his /iews.or his Union re,orts that he ,aid his dues(*ur re,ort on his Union shows it was sound' And our So%ia! 4s&%ho!o+& workers (ound That he was ,o,u!ar with his "ates and !iked a drink. The 4ress are %on/in%ed that he ou+ht a ,a,er e/er& da& And that his rea%tions to ad/ertise"ents were nor"a! in e/er& wa&. 4o!i%ies taken out in his na"e ,ro/e that he was (u!!& insuredAnd his Hea!th5%ard shows he was on%e in hos,ita! ut !e(t it %ured. )oth 4rodu%ers 6esear%h and Hi+h50rade 7i/in+ de%!are He was (u!!& sensi !e to the ad/anta+es o( the #nsta!!"ent 4!an And had e/er&thin+ ne%essar& to the Modern ManA ,hono+ra,h- a radio- a %ar and a (ri+idaire. *ur resear%hers into 4u !i% *,inion are %ontent That he he!d the ,ro,er o,inions (or the ti"e o( &ear8 When there was ,ea%e- he was (or ,ea%e8 When there was warhe went. He was "arried and added (i/e %hi!dren to the ,o,u!ationWhi%h our $u+enist sa&s was the ri+ht nu" er (or a ,arent o( his +eneration. And our tea%hers re,ort that he ne/er inter(ered with their edu%ation. Was he (ree9 Was he ha,,&9 The :uestion is a surd; Had an&thin+ een wron+- we shou!d %ertain!& ha/e heard. $,ita,h *n A T&rant W.H. Auden 4er(e%tion- o( a kind- was what he was a(terAnd the ,oetr& he in/ented was eas& to understand8 He knew hu"an (o!!& !ike the a%k o( his handAnd was +reat!& interested in ar"ies and (!eets8 When he !au+hed- res,e%ta !e senators urst with !au+hterAnd when he %ried the !itt!e %hi!dren died in the streets.

.unera! )!ues W.H. Auden Sto, a!! the %!o%ks- %ut o(( the te!e,hone4re/ent the do+ (ro" arkin+ with a <ui%& oneSi!en%e the ,ianos and with "u((!ed dru" )rin+ out the %o((in- !et the "ourners %o"e. 7et aero,!anes %ir%!e "oanin+ o/erhead S%ri !in+ on the sk& the "essa+e He is =ead. 4ut %re,e ows round the white ne%ks o( the ,u !i% do/es7et the tra((i% ,o!i%e"en wear !a%k %otton +!o/es. He was "& >orth- "& South- "& $ast and WestM& workin+ week and "& Sunda& restM& noon- "& "idni+ht- "& ta!k- "& son+8 # thou+ht that !o/e wou!d !ast (ore/er; # was wron+. The stars are not wanted now8 ,ut out e/er& one4a%k u, the "oon and dis"ant!e the sun4our awa& the o%ean and swee, u, the woods8 .or nothin+ now %an e/er %o"e to an& +ood.