The poem We Wear the Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar refers to
people hiding their true feelings and emotions from everyone else behind a “mask
.” In the poem he refers to the cheerful facial expression that people thinks is necessary so that others don’t see how they truly feel.
What is the mask symbolic of in Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem We Wear the Mask?
The mask symbolizes
how blacks must hide who they really are to navigate in white society
. Because they are viewed as stereotypes, blacks must pretend to be what white people expect them to be. A mask hides one’s true identity.
What is the main idea of We Wear the Mask?
The main themes in “We Wear the Mask” are
racial inequality, the cost of duplicity, the fallen nature of humanity, and inner versus outer worlds
. Racial inequality: The poem reflects Dunbar’s exploration of the condition of Black Americans, specifically their concealment of their suffering.
What kind of poem is we wear the mask?
Simply put,
a rondeau
is a type of poem that varies between 10-15 lines in length and is organized into three stanzas. Its opening words (“we wear the mask”) later become the poem’s refrain, which we see at the end of the second and third stanzas.
What figurative language is in We Wear the Mask?
The most important use of figurative language is the mask itself, as a symbol of African Americans hiding their pain in a society that still discriminates them. Furthermore, the line “We wear the mask that grins and lies” uses
personification
as the mask is provided of human behavior: it grins and lies.
What is the theme of We Wear the Mask quizlet?
The mask represents for the facade of feelings we hide. What is the theme of this poem? The theme of this poem is
suffering and oppression
. You just studied 2 terms!
Who is the speaker in We Wear the Mask?
The speaker of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem “We Wear the Mask” is referring to the
oppressed, disenfranchised African Americans
by using the first person plural pronoun “we.” Dunbar illustrates the way that countless African Americans living in prejudiced societies consciously smile and maintain a pleasant disposition …
Do you wear the mask poem?
We wear the mask. … We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries. To thee from tortured souls arise.
How is personification used in We Wear the Mask?
Personification is in the title of the poem, “ We Wear the Mask,” (1) which suggest that he is
personifying the mask because people wear it like it is a second face or alive
. Dunbar gives the mask human characteristics because the people have allowed the mask to go from being temporarily on their face to permananent.
What is the conflict in We Wear the Mask?
– The main conflict of the poem is
how the blacks are suffering, while trying to avoid conflict with the rest of the world
. And while the whites know of their suffering, they choose to ignore it.
The poem We Wear the Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar refers to people
hiding their true feelings and emotions from everyone else
behind a “mask.” In the poem he refers to the cheerful facial expression that people thinks is necessary so that others don’t see how they truly feel.
What does the phrase our color works to camouflage our character and promise at least in certain eyes mean as it is used in the poem lines 15 16 )?
What does the phrase “our color works to camouflage our / character and promise —at least, in certain eyes” mean as it is used in the poem (Lines 15-16)? … the tone (Lines 24-35)? It portrays the speaker’s approach to the future as pessimistic.
It emphasizes the speaker’s hope that things will improve
.
What is the central image of Dunbar’s poem What does this object hide both literally and metaphorically )?
Expert Answers
The central image of the poem is
the mask itself
. Dunbar describes, “We wear the mask that grins and lies,” hinting that the mask appears joyful to hide something sad or angry underneath. It grins to hide the true emotions of the wearer.
How will you describe the speaker of the mask?
Throughout “We Wear the Mask,” the speaker
describes deep and prolonged suffering
. The group in this poem have “torn and bleeding hearts,” express “tears and sighs,” and are “tortured souls” who must constantly pretend they are not struggling.
Who is dreaming in the poem We Wear the Mask?
The people in this poem who “dream,” then, are not the black people who are the subject of the poem, but the others—
the white people
, the wider world. The use of the word “dream” is interesting because it suggests that this is a pleasant fantasy for them.
What does myriad subtleties mean?
More fancy words: “myriad” means having lots of something, too many to count even. And “subtleties” simply refer to
things that come across as subtle, gentle, less obvious
.
