The Unknown Citizen
by W. H. Auden(To JS/07 M 378
This Marble Monument
Is Erected by the State)He was found by the Bureau of Statistics to be
One 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.
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 Instalment Plan
And had everything necessary to the Modern Man,
A phonograph, 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.(sursa)
Poezie de sambata – monumentul cetateanului necunoscut
iulie 11, 2009 de adinab
Asta e un amestec de 1984 cu clasa de mijloc din Romania{fara cantitatea de copii}!Sau de fapt e acelasi lucru si nu mi-am dat eu seama!
@bebe – De ce 1984? 🙂 Mie mi s-a parut ca-i vorba de clasa de mijloc de oriunde 🙂
1984, presupun, datorita ultimelor doua versuri. Dar nu cred ca trebuie interpretate ca „big brother is watching us”, sau nu numai si nu atit de „orientat” ca in cartea pomenita. Mi se pare mai relevant versul penultim decit urmatorul.
@smn – A. Da, cred ca poti sa interpetezi asa. Nu ma gandisem.
Finalul mi se pare pur şi simplu genial!
Mai copii, poezia asta ne arata un om urmarit in fiecare moment al vietii sale. Rapoarte peste rapoarte care aduc fiecare aspect al vietii lui in vizor (al nostru si … al cui altcuiva ?) . Iar versul penultim e chiar tare:cui ii pasa ca el se crede liber si fericit atita timp cit urmeaza curentul(vezi ultimul vers)!
Mie mi se pare că finalul zice altceva: că o asemenea viaţă nu era menită nici să-l facă liber, nici să-l facă fericit, că libertatea sau fericirea nu erau nişte drepturi ale omului în cauză şi că a le căuta ar fi fost „wrong”, ieşit din comun, ieşit din prognozele „lor” şi că, de s-ar fi produs o asemenea anomalie, s-ar fi sesizat.
Nu mi se pare că ignoră libertatea sau fericirea lui, mi se pare că i le neagă de-a dreptul.
@dreamingjewel – Nu stiu, eu am luat asa ultimul vers: daca n-ar fi fost liber, daca n-ar fi fost fericit, cineva s-ar fi sesizat 🙂 Liber, fericit – asa, la modul statistic. Nici prea prea si nici foarte foarte. Cred ca multi oameni ar fi fericiti cu ce are el – slujba, opinii politice linistitoare, frigider, nevasta si copii. Ar fi ciudat sa-si doreasca altceva.
Da, merge şi aşa. Uite câte interpretări pot să rezulte! (după chipul şi asemănarea cititorului, evident).
@dreamingjewel – Da, ar trebui sa-i fim recunoscatori Luizei pt ideea cu poezia de sambata 🙂
Ohooo, sigur că trebuie! Dacă Simmons cu fixaţia lui pentru Keats mi-a dat impulsul iniţial să reîncep să citesc poezie, joaca de-a PDS-ul m-am făcut să mă ţin de asta. Eu sunt cum nu se poate mai recunoscătoare.