“The Unknown Citizen” and “Richard Cory” both address different point of views on the social perspective of man and the personal perspective. Robinson’s poem speaks about how a well put together man seems to the citizens and how envied he is. In reality the man is broken on the inside and envies the happy people he is around, while Auden’s poem is addressing a different point of view on a man’s character. In a real sense, Auden’s poem begins where Robinson’s ends, addressing a stranger’s view on an average man. The poem’s themes may be compared by the social rank, ironic outcomes, and inability of self aversion.

“Richard Cory” demonstrates a more royal like quality in the social life of Richard Cory whereas the unknown citizen is explained as an everyday man in the community . From the citizen’s perspective of Richard Cory “he was a gentleman from sole to crown” and in the eyes of the community “he was everything”. They put Richard Cory on a pedestal because his mask of happiness was convincing. Similarly, from a more state official perspective, every man was the same, so “JS/07/M/378” was no different. Nothing extraordinary placed this unknown citizen higher in the social rank than any other man. Just like the next person, his reactions were “normal in every way”. The man is described as a “saint” who served the “Greater Community” like anyone else who upholds to state standards. The social ranking of this man was not based on achievements or good deeds but on how he worshiped the government and followed their rules. Both men, while ranked differently, are judged on false pretenses of their true personality.

Another appearance-based tragedy is the ironic outcome of both Richard Cory and The Unknown Citizen. Both men have mixed emotions which leads to a destroyed unhappy life. Richard Cory may have “glittered when he walked” or “fluttered pulses” when he spoke, but even though he had such a positive impact on people it did not stop the broken man from “putting a bullet through his head”. Being judged for something that he was not ended his life in a serious event although after his passing it was like he never existed. Similarly, even though he was not treated like a king, the unknown citizen was forced to hide his true feelings in order to conform to society’s “Modern Man”. The official’s questions JS/07/M/378’s life, “Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd”. The unknown citizen’s life was not worth a more supreme man worrying if he was actually happy, as long as he fit in with other people, he was okay. JS/07/M/378 was recorded as someone who followed orders and ended up passing away in an unknown way. Once he was gone his files were trashed and he was just another unlucky citizen. Richard Cory and the unknown citizen, whether respected or not, died and uneventful debt trying to fit in with society.

Lastly, the inability of self-assertiveness is evident in both works. Richard Cory is compared to a king “schooled in every grace” amongst commoners who treat him as such. He is unable to correct the minds of those around him into believing he isn’t worthy of such a title, instead he keeps the act up that he is like them. On the other hand, Aden portrays in unknown citizen as a “man who was popular with his mates” and a “saint”. He wasn’t able to extract himself from the average life style of men his age and become different by becoming his own person, instead the government figures “had anything been wrong, we should certainly had heard”. Both men would have rather suffered an over glorified life or a basic life instead of showing their communities their differences.

Though the poems share the ideas of social rank, ironic outcomes, and the inability of self aversion they are still different. Robinson’s poem illustrates a man who has everything but who is deeply troubled, while Auden’s poem illustrates a man who is average and unable to make himself known. both poems are strong for trails at how effective wearing a mask on the outside is in order to hide deeper, darker feelings.