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Summary We wear the mask (Paul Laurence Dunbar)
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We wear the mask (Paul Laurence Dunbar)- analysing the poem and background information.
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11. We wear the mask that grins and lies,
2. It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
3. This debt we pay to human guile;
4. With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
5. And mouth with myriad subtleties.
Author:
6. Why should the world be over-wise,
7. In counting all our tears and sighs? Dunbar was born in 1872 to parents who had been enslaved in
8. Nay, let them only see us, while Kentucky. His writing career began early, and his work began to get
9. We wear the mask. published when he was fourteen years old. He self-published his first
collection in 1893, and two years later, his work become popular and
10. We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries was printed in major publications. Dunbar's health began declining in
11. To thee from tortured souls arise. 1898, and he died in 1906, at the young age of thirty-three.
12. We sing, but oh the clay is vile
13. Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
14. But let the world dream otherwise,
15. We wear the mask!
We Wear The Mask’ is a poem written by Paul
Laurence Dunbar. It is a moving poem, an
outcry against the racism that prevails in
Structure: America against those who are coloured.
A three-stanza poem that is separated into one set of five lines, one of four,
and one of six. The poem is structured in the form of a rondeau. This form is
defined by having 10-15 lines and being organised into three stanzas.
The rhyme scheme of this piece is repetitive, oriented around a refrain. In this
case, the pattern is aabba aabc aabac. The end sounds repeat throughout Theme:
this piece, with the refrain, “We wear the mask” appearing at the end of the
second and third stanzas. The major theme of this poem is racism. Those
Each stanza there is a different mood and the rhyme scheme is a contributing who are coloured are oppressed in America
factor E.g.: the first stanza has a mysterious mood; the second stanza has a and them trying to hide themselves against this
sombre mood and the last stanza has a tormented sort of urgent mood. thus points to this theme. Towards the end of
the poem, Christianity can also be seen as a
theme prevailing in the poem.
, Stanza 1: 2
The poem begins with the collective pronoun ‘we’, thus showing the readers
that the persona is not only talking about himself but his community which is
being oppressed as a whole. He states that they wear a mask and hide
behind it, portraying themselves to be happy. They hide the true expressions 1. We wear the mask that grins and lies,
that decorate their face, the rage that threatens to show on being 2. It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
suppressed. Hiding their pain and anguish, they wear their debt for being
deceitful- the mask- and smile to say things they do not mean, that do not 3. This debt we pay to human guile;
reveal their true selves. 4. With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
5. And mouth with myriad subtleties.
Stanza 2:
6. Why should the world be over-wise,
The persona questions why it was that the society wanted to closely monitor
7. In counting all our tears and sighs?
their pain, to keep track of the anguish they suffer. Because they are
adamant in doing so, the persona assertively states that they, as a 8. Nay, let them only see us, while
community, would not let society have the pleasure of seeing what they 9. We wear the mask.
wished to see. They would only see the mask that they wore, their protective
armour.
10. We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
11. To thee from tortured souls arise.
12. We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Stanza 3:
13. Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
The last stanza is an appeal to God, a cry of distress rather. The persona 14. But let the world dream otherwise,
proclaims that though they smile for others, their tortured souls are crying to
God, the supreme being. Though they sing as though being happy, the 15. We wear the mask!
‘clay’ beneath their feet is ‘vile’, referring to the vile nature that could show
out of the land they live. Their journey of life, because of this, is long and
hard, filled with suffering. Yet, the persona states that the world could think
otherwise, could believe that they were happy indeed for all they see is the
mask these people wore.
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