Area of Study: Belonging

Related Material Analysis

The Unknown Citizen

W.H. Auden

Text Type: Satiric Elegy

Publication details: 1939

Works best with:

Arthur Miller The Crucible

Baz Luhrmann Strictly Ballroom

Student Activities

1. Write a brief synopsis of this poem, focusing on the relationship between the text and ‘belonging’:

2. Identify and explain TWO underlying assumptions that W.H. Auden makes about

conforming in order to experience belonging to society:

3. Research the context of The Unknown Citizen. In what ways has the context of the poem influenced Auden’s perception of belonging in an increasingly bureaucratic and consumerist world?

4. Identify at least SIX language/poetic devices used and briefly explain how they convey the composer’s message concerning belonging.

5. ‘The choice to belong has consequences for the individual’s sense of self’. Discuss this view with detailed reference to W.H. Auden’s satiric elegy The Unknown Citizen.