Thursday, 22 January 2015

Auden

"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."

-W. H. Auden, "The Unknown Citizen"

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