The Unknown Citizen Explication

               W.H. Auden creates an overall image of societal culture in his poem The Unknown Citizen. Auden’s poem is caked with subtle irony in every line that makes the reader almost miss the fact that the government is proud of this individual that they practically molded themselves. Throughout the poem there are lines like “He was found by the Bureau of Statistics to be….” and “our Social Psychology workers found…” or “Our researchers into Public Opinion are content”. It reminds me a little bit of 1984 in terms of the Ministries that control different facets of life like war, media etc. The man that is described as the “unknown citizen” seems to be a perfect individual. It even states that he has everything that makes him the “Modern Man”. There are no complaints against him, everything he did was for the Greater Community (whatever that means), and always paid his dues. If he is so unknown, how, why is it that these Eugenicists and psychologists and things like Producers Research and High-Grade Living know all about this man? They talk of him in high regards because he does everything right according to their standards. The first time I read this poem through, I too thought this person seemed great and that nothing was wrong with him. However, the last line of the poem is particularly startling as well as disturbing. The last line is “Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard”. I picture this man to be Winston in my mind (except the part that says the man has 5 children) because it is this person that followed the rules but you cannot tell if he really is happy or free. To answer the poem’s questions I do not really think he is because even though it is never said, I think this man is just going through life blindly. In modern society you do not really here of the guy who supports his children’s education or the man who does well at his job-you only hear of the people who make horrible decisions and corrupt their society. At first I thought that was what this poem was doing, focusing on the good people who do not get noticed, but it is actually more of the fact that there are so many things that watch what we do and define us as people when it is up to ourselves to define who we are.

Julia in 1984

I have mixed feelings about Julia. Obviously in Book One you have this speculation about her and you are not sure you can trust her. Winston would be terrified to make eye contact with her for too long, not to mention her dedication to the Junior Anti-Sex League and her seemingly obsessive adoration for the Party. In the first chapter of Book Two, we learn that she is actually in love with Winston. All of the trepidation and uneasiness felt towards her is now suddenly vanquished with the words “I love you”.

                Winston is not stupid and knows that this could be a trap. He ultimately goes through with it and meets her in this secret location surrounded by vacant meadows and lush bushes and trees. We learn that this girl, Julia, is the exact opposite of what Winston believed she was. She even tore off her Junior Anti-Sex League sash and through it to the side. They eventually have sex in the country and she tells him that she has done this with many Party members, but not the inner Party members whom she refers to as “swine”. Winston is thrilled that she has had sex with a score of members and wishes that it had been hundreds or thousands of members. He believes that the more times she has, the greater the emphasis of rebellion. Julia is seen as this reckless and savvy and sexy character that is cunning but also incredibly smart at dodging the cameras of the Party and undermining their authority. At first I was just in complete awe of her and her courage and her ability to laugh at the society she lives in even though it is the only thing she has ever known. She is significantly younger than Winston and could have virtually been sucked in to the Party’s views easily. However even though she is able to outsmart the Party and still have all of these mature and youthful emotions inside of her, I found her to be a little cruel as well. There is a part where she mentions her first sexual affair with a 60 year old man at only 16 which she almost boasts about. The man eventually kills himself to avoid being executed by the Party, in which she feels no guilt or anger for, but only feels lucky and happy that he did not end up confessing her name. It is quickly mentioned and then she throws it away like it is some old memory from her youth. It just rubbed me the wrong way. I do not hate her knowing that, but it shows another side of her that makes you think twice about her. I definitely see her and Winston rebelling already with their affair, and they could possibly make the rebellion even bigger and beyond just sex.

H. Ingsoc Sum

H ungood/good? Kill P. Hurt mom. O selfdie. Hor friend 1. R+G exdie by H trick. H father = H too. Hdad poisendie. H kill L With swords. Hdad ghost. Talk to Hson. H sworddie. Hor storyteller. Fort. kingOceania.

Predictions for Winston

               At the end of Book One, Winston is sort of crippled against his own inhibitions. Once he gets back to his apartment, he contemplates suicide so the Party will not capture him and kill him themselves. Before he succumbs to the thought of ending his life, he remembers what O’Brien whispered to him, “We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness”. Those words are what keep Winston from going through with suicide but still makes him terrified of what could happen to him. He stares at a coin in his pocket of Big Brother and reflects on the slogan associated with him-WAR IS PEACE- FREEDOM IS SLAVERY-IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.

               My predictions for Winston are that he will go through with trying to take down the Party with O’Brien and that he will do it through the Proles. Though Book One ends with an uninspiring tone, I do think that Winston has a lot of anger and oppression inside of him and holding it in will kill him, but doing something about it may bring a result of justice…and also probably kill him, though he will have changed the lives of all the people in Oceania, Eastaisa and Eurasia and the generations for years to come.  He presents himself to other characters in the book with this almost shy and cooperative demeanor but we see the world through Winston’s eyes and can tell that there is a lot more to him than how he appears to the outside world. In chapter eight, Winston takes a little walk though the Prole district and we can see his amusement and curiosity with the culture and mysteriousness of this place that seems to live under the Party’s nose. He craves information about the truth and the Revolution and keeps coming back to the place where he bought his journal. I believe that that shop will be very significant to Winston and his journey to bringing justice back to the world and possibly be his place of hiding. The last few chapters of the first book mention that having sex is frowned upon and the activity should not even be used in creating other human beings because future parents could just use artsem-artificial insemination. Winston views sexual intercourse as the ultimate act of rebellion and I think that will also come into play with his plan, especially since he desires an affair and thinks might help him escape and possibly help other people escape.

BIG BROTHER-1984 and 2013

               Orwell’s 1984 emphasizes the importance of privacy by showing how detrimental it is to have it taken away from society. Privacy is definitely viewed as a privilege in the novel, especially among the protagonist, Winston Smith. On almost every surface of every building are posters marked with the slogan “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” as a constant reminder that the Party, or government, is always monitoring what you do. The slogan is a bit sarcastic with its connotation. “BIG BROTHER” normally conjures up an image of protection or of a guardian. Using the verb “WATCH” has a kind of negative association and seeing them in all caps also gives it a harsher tone. What is particularly intrusive as well as disturbing are the telescreens. The telescreens are basically televisions that only show propaganda and are also used to have the Thought Police constantly watch and look after its citizens. The name “Thought Police” particularly troubles me because it sounds like they are not only monitoring your actions but your mind, so not even your thoughts are safe. Winston cannot even write in a diary and have anything private to him, which is not only degrading his self protection but his self as a human being.

             It makes me very weary of how the government is possibly watching us as citizens. Obviously there are no telescreens or Thought Police but I still feel as though the government wants to keep tabs on people to avoid threat or takeover or anything that could demolish their appearance as a superior. The National Security Agency is constantly discussed in the media for increasing their surveillance programs on the internet and on cell phones. People such as Edward Snowden and Julian Assange consider themselves whistleblowers and heroes to the American people for exploiting these corruptions of the government. However some people view them as criminals and traitors so it makes it confusing and hard to decipher who to root for. I understand that the government aims to protect and keep the people from harm, especially after 9/11, but many people could argue that the patriot act took it too far. The patriot act pretty much allows the government to interfere with anyone’s belongings if they deem to be a threat to the United States. The bill was even extended to include wiretaps, searching through business records, and heightened surveillance. It seems as though this is meant to keep the people safe, but it’s hard to do that if the government does not know who to look out for. Sooner or later, maybe America could be like 1984, which is a little scary to think about. Is Big Brother Really watching us?

"To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" Explication

               Before I start explicating this poem, I must make a disclaimer. I am not sure if this is important but I read the very first line of “To the Virgins” and knew that I had to write about it. This poem by Robert Herrick was the first poem that Professor John Keating teaches his students in Peter Weir’s film Dead Poets Society. That film is monumental to me to say the least and to see the poem in this chapter made me very motivated to explicate. Now that I got that probably useless information out there, I will actually start the assignment.

To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time is a poem filled with symbolism, metaphors, and imagery all pertaining to acting on impulses in the moment. The speaker is explaining how “Old Time is still a-flying” and we must “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may”. The rosebuds create a symbol of youth and love while his statement about time could be a metaphor, stating that life will not go on forever. The two go hand in hand and one could also say the youth and love may not last forever.  He concludes the first stanza with “And this same flower that smiles today tomorrow will be dying”. It seems like Herrick is pertaining to a female in his poem because of the flower imagery. He ends the stanza almost on a depressing tone, saying that even though we keep living day by day, we are also getting closer to death and old age.

The next stanza continues with nature symbolism but this time among males. Herrick describes men as the sun getting higher and higher and then eventually setting. “The sooner will his race be run, and nearer he’s to setting”. Eventually men will pass on as well and it contributes to his point that men and women should just spend the time having sex and being adventurous before it is too late.

Age is very much emphasized, especially when the narrator talks about the impending tomorrow. He also emphasizes youth and the importances of discovering these pivotal ecstasies of life while men and women are still agile and carefree. “The age is best which is the first, when youth and blood are warmer” is how he begins his stanza and then quickly switches to a more almost ominous tone by concluding it with “Time still succeed the former”. He justifies his previous claim that even if you spend your life and adolescence doing other activities time will still be inevitable.

The last stanza sums up and reiterates what he has been trying to achieve all along in this poem. The last two lines are especially profound, “For having lost but once your prime, you may forever tarry”. These words of wisdom or perhaps a warning signal instructs to “virgins” that one must be aware of their time alive and not dwell or inhabit coy reservations. As John Keating in Dead Poets Society states, “We are food for worms, lads”. That is the overarching argument that Herrick makes and he makes it very well known among his first couple of lines. We might as well live as we want to. Carpe Diem.

Ghost of a Chance Explication

                Ghost of a Chance by Adrienne Rich uses figurative language and imagery to expose a man trying to separate himself from the world. The entire poem is relatively straight forward in terms of organization. The poet wrote her poem in chronological order and then ending in a simile of comparing the man thinking independently to a fish flopping around on the beach until the waves pull it back in. She also uses careful word choice by having the narrator address the reader in the opening line, “You see a man trying to think.” By choosing the word “you” the poet is addressing the reader and mentally placing them in the poem’s setting. In the reader’s mind they picture a man sitting by himself and not being able to think because of the constant commotion from people and surroundings from the world around him. At one point she mentions that, “the old consolations will get him at last”. The “old consolations” could be a myriad of things. The poet then starts comparing the consolations to a fish gasping for air in a rather morbid simile, “like a fish half-dead from flopping/ across the shingle, almost breathing, the raw agonizing air/ till a wave pulls it back blind into the triumphant sea”.  Consolations are usually things related to comfort, especially after an emotional loss. I found it odd that the poet would use a consolation as a metonymy to a fish desperately fighting for air. However, the fish struggling to survive could mimic the suffocating atmosphere of society and its constant intrusion on people’s lives and their desires to be different from the status quo. The sea is described by a very selective adjective, “triumphant” signifying the victory and/or chance of being individual. The title then, Ghost of a Chance, proves to be very poignant because though the poem never mentions it, it implies that the man probably never succeeded and eventually succumbed back into societal pressures. The man lost his chance and continues to be the fish along the shore.