“The Unknown Citizen” and “Richard Corey” are both powerful poems with meaningful messages of public perception. Robinson’s poem speaks generally about a man who is perceived to be a “king” and superior to the people on the pavement and has everything one must want to be happy. However, Richard Corey’s life to the public is perceived to be perfect while instead he is broken and flawed which causes him to commit suicide. In Auden’s poem it speaks generally about a man who has done everything socially correct in his life such as “held the proper opinions for the time of year” and has everything a person needs, “ phonograph, a radio, a car, and a frigidaire”. However even though he was socially correct nobody knows if he was “happy” or “free” as the question of if he was seems absurd because “ had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard.” While both poems have the same issue of society not realizing that just because someone has “everything necessary to the Modern Man” doesn’t mean that on the inside they are not broken or flawed. The importance of appearance is challenged by the deaths of Richard Corey and the Unknown Citizen because of society’s perception, social rank, and characterization.
“Richard Corey” challenges the importance of appearance by using society’s perception of Richard Corey to just because everyone looks up to you and thinks you’re a king doesn’t mean that you are perfect on the inside. Richard Corey was thought of as someone who was almost “not human”. He was perfect,”rich- yes richer than a king, and admirably schooled in every grace”. However, even though society looked up to him and thought he had everything someone could ever wish for he was actually broken. As an example of how society’s perception was wrong about Richard Corey and that he was indeed broken,”one calm summer night, went home and put a bullet through his head.” Richard Corey was envied as he had everything he wanted yet still, even though society perceived him to be a “king”, he ended up committing suicide. Similarly, in “The Unknown Citizen” society perceives the citizen to have everything one must need or want in life,”And had everything necessary to the Modern Man, A phonograph, a radio, a car and a frigidaire.” The citizen, like Richard Corey, is also well liked with the people who knew him,”he was popular with his mates and liked a drink.” The citizen was also thought to have the right ideas, views, and actions society wanted the perfect citizen to have just like Richard Corey did. For example, “That, in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a saint, For in everything he did he served the Greater Community.” The unknown citizen, like Corey, did what society thought was right. However, also like Corey, the was thought to be happy and have no issues,”Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd: Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard.” Thus, in both poems the importance of appearance is challenged by society’s perspective because in “Richard Corey”, as in “The Unknown Citizen”, society perceives both Corey and the citizen as people who had everything materialistically but on the inside were lacking happiness, as self evident in Corey’s suicide. Society holds the money, materialistic items, and the way people thought of them, which both men have, over the self-value, confidence, and lack of happiness, which both men also struggle with. Importance of appearance is challenged by society’s perspective by both poems because of the way both men lacked happiness and freedom on the inside.
“The Unknown Citizen” challenges the importance of appearance by using the social rank of the citizen. People automatically assume that because of his position at work, family life, and having all of his wants and needs covered that he is happy and lives a joyful life without even knowing him. The citizen served in the War and then after kept the same job till he died. People assume that since he had the same job his whole life that he must’ve been content with it, for if the pay was bad, or he simply didn’t enjoy it then he would have certainly left at least once before he died. The citizen’s employers certainly feel that he was content with life,”Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard.” The citizen with his social rank also appears to be very successful. Especially with all of his and his family’s needs taken care of,”and had everything necessary to the Modern Man”. The citizen certainly had the correct social views for the time period,”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.” His social rank must’ve been high if everyone says he did the right thing. Similarly, in “Richard Corey”, Richard Corey is looked up too, does the right deeds, and is envied for everything he has. Corey’s social rank is extremely high because of these traits and he is a “king”. For example,”In fine, we thought that he was everything.” the people on the pavement look up to him like he is a “god”. They are worshipping Corey so much in fact that they are saying that he is everything to them. Richard Corey’s social rank was also so high that the people envied him immensely,”make us wish we were in his place.” The people want nothing more than to switch places with Corey and to have his high social rank. However, like the unknown citizen, Corey’s social rank doesn’t equal happiness, as both leave question marks as no one knows if the citizen was happy nor do they truly care and in the case of Corey in which he commits suicide. As in the above examples the importance of appearance is challenged by social rank because in the end both men were unhappy,broken,and ended up with many flaws.
Both poems challenge the importance of appearance by the use of characterization in both characters, Richard Corey and the unknown citizen. In “Richard Corey”, the use of characterization challenges the importance of appearance because he is made to seem like a “god” and a “king”, but in the end commits suicide. For example, when Corey simply talked to other people they would act as if their live’s were changed,”But still he fluttered pulses when he said, “Good Morning,” and he glittered when he walked.” The simple act of saying “good morning” makes the people “ooh” and “ahh” at Corey as he “glitters” when he walks away from them. This characterization of Richard Corey makes him seem immortal and un-human like. With the way the people on the pavement look up to Corey and characterize him make him seem like an eternal king who the people strive to impress. With these feelings towards Corey they feel like he is everything to them,”we thought that he was everything,” and what also comes with these feelings is the sense that Corey is their number one idol. Also what the people don’t think about is Corey’s death, they simply can’t believe that he can die much else commit suicide. However, in “The Unknown Citizen”, the way they characterize the unknown citizen is that he is an ordinary man who had all of his needs and wants taken care of. However, as you continue reading “The Unknown Citizen”, and more specifically the characterizations made about the citizen is that he had everything he wanted, such as a great family, a great job, and all of life’s luxuries. For example, “HE was married and had five children”,”And had everything necessary to the modern man”,and ,”He worked in a factory and never got fired But satisfied his employers.” The unknown citizen was characterized as someone who had everything they could ever want or desire.
Overall, both poems are very powerful and convey and very strong message about public perception. Both main characters are perceived to have everything they want, and in the case of Corey are even idolized and worshiped by other people. However no one knows or cares about how they are on the inside. While both poems have the same issue of society not realizing that just because someone has “everything necessary to the Modern Man” doesn’t mean that on the inside they are not broken or flawed. The importance of appearance is challenged by the deaths of Richard Corey and the Unknown Citizen because of society’s perception, social rank, and characterization.