To help you understand this poem, you may want to know a little bit about the monument for the unknown soldiers. For a brief explanation of this famous tomb, see the relevant link below.
Who is the speaker of this poem? How would you describe him? What is important to him? Do you think the poet's ideas about the "unknown citizen" being described are the same as the speaker's view of him?
This poem uses much irony. Give an example of this irony and explain it.
The poem presents many facts about this individual. Briefly, what is known about the man? In spite of all these facts, the man remains "unknown." In what ways is he still "unknown"?
Explain the final two lines of the poem.
What does this poem suggest about our society and about individuals in that society? In what ways is this poem a satire?
