Topic > The Intentions of a Political Leader in Auden's Selected Works and Orwell's "Animal Farm"

With insufficient insight into the thoughts and goals of a political leader, one may blindly appreciate the benefits accruing to his rule . While the opposite can also be established, that political leaders wanted such perception to be placed within individuals in order to further extend their control. W. H. Auden's work, including the poems "Oh, what is that sound that so thrills the ear?", "Epitaph of a Tyrant" and "Unknown Citizen", aims to convey the danger of having no interpretation clarity of an individual's rule and illustrates the extent of control a government possesses. The satirical allegory "Animal Farm", written by George Orwell in 1945, also addresses similar issues through the depiction of animals that tell the story of Soviet communism. Through the performance of both composers, they aim to promote awareness about the need to research the intentions of one's political leader instead of being oblivious and undetectable. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Without the required knowledge or evidence, individuals will find themselves being manipulated by the oppressive government. Such governments use power and fear over citizens to expand their authority. In 'Oh, what is that sound that makes the ear so tremble', anaphora is used at the beginning of each stanza "Oh, what is that sound..." "Oh, what is that light. .." to imply the sense of desperation and also the fear of the unknown that resides in citizens. Here Auden alludes to the people of the post-World War I period and evokes the terrors felt in that era of political persecution. A similar concept is explored in Orwell's “Animal Farm,” where the government uses fear as a tool of control. A frightening image is used in "...the dogs promptly tore out his throat, and in a terrible voice Napoleon asked if any other animal had anything to confess..." to illustrate the terrible atmosphere created by Napoleon while showing the his power, the animals were terrified and could only submit to his authority. Therefore, through both representations, Auden and Orwell raise awareness of such governments and the danger they pose. Governments often aim to establish compliance among citizens as a stepping stone to total control. In 'Unknown Citizen', symbolism is used in “JS/07 M 378” to convey the loss of individuality from being identified as numbers and also acts as a component of a larger system. Without any sense of individuality, the population is united as a mass that can be manipulated by the government. Auden warns the audience not to fall into this category as he alludes to the mindless masses who followed Hitler's dictates. Similarly in “Animal Farm,” the government offers false hope as a means of uniting citizens by manipulating them. The antithesis is used in "Four Legs Good, Two Legs Bad". to clearly establish the hatred towards the two legs, which united the animals under a common belief. It was then that Napoleon seized the opportunity and manipulated the animals to conform to his own desires. Therefore, both Auden and Orwell present a painful society built on lies provided by a government and strongly emphasize the importance of one's individuality. An individual's vision for the ideal world is often clouded by their own selfish desires such that, in another's perspective, it is seen as tyranny. In "Epitaph on a Tyrant", the simile is used in "He knew human folly like the back of his hand", to mean’.