We Wear the Mask Analysis

We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,­-
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream other-wise,
We wear the mask!

.: :.

that was posted by andrew harris ofpuyallup washington
dont bite its copyright.

| Posted on 2009-01-23 | by a guest

.: :.

False face their true emotions with a diluted appearance.
Emotions can be repressed.
Though one can have full control of thought, one can repress those thoughts if forced.
Dunbar’s piece “We Wear the Mask” is a relevant piece that should be read and create discussion about its modern relevance. Dunbar uses “mask” to convey the artificial outer appearance of the people he is speaking of, including himself. The people spoken of are African-American, but Dunbar fails to reveal the true people spoken of, so the works universality is endless. Knowing the time period that these people were in that he vividly speaks of in the poem, we can conclude from the work, that he is speaking of a group of people in a bind, the people are binding their feelings, opinions and physical actions, because of the time period not allowing for the specific people to express themselves. The mask is a symbol of this binding and “hushing” of these things that are not acceptable in the society of the time. This concealed pain and suffering is the mask, the mask is a strong symbol in this prodigious work. The mask is such strong symbols because the reader is allowed to use their imagination. The reader can only imagine what such a people may feel like when being forced to false face their true emotions with a diluter appearance, to make such of their appearance a light thing. The people of the poem wear a mask that grins and lies the line here attempts to convey that the outer appearance lacks to support the true emotions on the inside, it attacks a main theme of the poem, they make their appearance suitable for societal conventions but lie to themselves in the process, knowing they think otherwise. Dumbing down themselves they wear a mask, an outer appearance that hides their cheeks and shades their eyes the mask conveys the smile and excited eyes but it is a false face, it only is what society of the time wants from them but contradicts the eternal feelings of sorrow and heavy hearted emotions that they could only wish to show. it is latter stated by Dunbar that this debt to themselves is paid to human crafty and artful deception, directed to destroy them.

| Posted on 2009-01-23 | by a guest