Poem- "We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar

[Ms. Knarr]

We Wear the Mask By Paul Laurence Dunbar 1872–1906



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 otherwise,

We wear the mask!

[morganclyne]

1.After reading this poem, I believe that the over all meaning is to show how in the late 1800's and into the early 1900's, black Americans were still being treated unfairly. The Black American community was still looked down upon which caused them much pain and suffering. I feel that the community had to put on a front inorder to not be judged and pretend to be happy. This poem shows the insight into the life of a black American at the time and the suffering they endured. I think that in this poem, the literary device used was repetition as well as alliteration.

2.While reading this poem I instantly felt emotion run through me. The words used were so strong and made me feel terrible for the Black Americans who were mistreated at the time. I think that this poem would touch anyone reader and also give them great insight into the past. I really enjoyed reading this poem!

3.
1.Were black Americans forced to put on a front or was this from one community's view?
2. If so, why were they forced to? Were they punished if they showed how they truely felt?
3.Did the Black community put on a front on their own?
4.Why does the poem say "But let the world dream other wise"? Did the Black community want the white community to not think the mistreatment did not effect them?

[abbyjameson]

1. I agree with Morgan that the overall meaning was that African Americans were still being treated unjustly but they didn't want to show their pain and hurt to society so they put on their "masks" to mask their pain. However, I also believe that the poem speaks of bravery because even though on the inside the black Americans were hurting and felt betrayed, they wanted to prove society wrong and show the community that they were not afraid. Another point of the poem may have been about not letting others push you down, to be the stronger person in life. Even when you are hurting on the inside sometimes its important to put on a brave face because it shows you are the bigger person in life by not retaliating.

2. While reading this poem a few emotions hit me at once. At first, I was angry that African Americans were being treated this way and that they were so hurt on the inside, and they had to hide their real emotions from society in order to resist further torment. But then, I felt proud of them, for going out in their communities and putting on their brave faces, as hard as that may have been. I was proud of the African American community for showing that they would not be belittled and that they were the bigger person.

3.(Answering question 3) I believe the black community out the front on themselves, as a whole, to prove to others in society that their words did not hurt them and that they could not touch them, even if they were hurt on the inside. They may have been influenced to put on the front by others who have hurt them, but they decided to put on the mask to prove they were stringer and better.

Abby, don't forget to ask a question after you answer one!-Ms.Knarr

[jthimelrick]

1. While Abby and Morgan say that it is the slaves that put on the mask, i think it is society that puts the mask on the slaves. After the slaves were freed i dont think society wanted them to be happy and be able to make it in America, so they placed a masked over them depicting them as lying about saying they are happy. The freed slaves might not have had great lives after slavery but they were happy to be able to finally marry for love, proclaim their religion freely, and live like all the other free men.
2. When i read this story i started to feel bad for the African-Americans of that time. They were only trying to live life to their fullest, but society had to sterotype them as something else. They were just good hardworking people trying to make it in this world, but they had to be put down by society by placing a mask of tears and sighs over them.
3. (answering Morgans 1st Question) i think that this mask was one of the communities views, the African Americans didnt actually live with tears and grins, but with bright eyes and smiles that society shaded with a mask. Do you think the community actually thought African-Americans actually lived that way or they just wanted them to live that way, with tears and sighs.

[morganclyne]

1.Reacting to Abbey's post, I completly agree with her as well as Jt's reaction. I think it is great and very insightful to hear what other people take away from this program. In Abbey's response i agree that the poem also shows bravery and although i did not acknowledge that at first, I realize that now. Furthermore, I must say that I do not agree with Jt's resopnse because from reading this peom, I felt that the Black Community chose to wear a mask.
2.In respone to JT's question, I feel that the community did not necessarily want the Black Communnity to feel that they must hid who they were but that it was a role taken on by the Black Community themselves.
Do you think the Community was happy with the Black Community being masked or do you believe they wished they showed their true feeling?

[abbyjameson]

(Sorry, I forgot to post a question so here it is) Why do you think they chose to wear the masks instead of showing their true feelings?

[hugozazzarini]

1. I agree with both Abby and Morgan, I too think that the overall meaning of this poem is to show the mask that the African-American had put on to hide their pain despite still being treated unfairly. However, I also agree that society, in a way, forced them to put on this mask to continue oppressing them even after slavery was abolished.
2. After reading this poem, some of the emotions I felt were of anger and of sadness. I felt this because while this poem depicts how the African Americans mask their pain, other oppression still occurs today. However, I commend the blacks for going on and living through this despite the hardships they faced and showing society that they were truly strong.
3. (answering question 3) I believe that the front they put on was their own in order to remain strong and to prevent society from breaking them down any further. Why do you think that this mask was used?

[samentwistle]

1. I believe that this poem was about the mask that African American people put on to hide their true hurt and feelings while they are in slavery. I completely agree with the thoughts of Abby and Morgan in this area of the poem. Also, I agree with the idea that the white people had to wear the mask creating the facade that nothing has happened to the African Americans. Regardless of the group of people wearing the mask, it was a mask full of emotions, lies, regret, and possible hatred to another race.

2. By reading this poem, I was able to understand the troubles faced by the slaves and the mask they had to wear in order to tough through their pain. The poem was a fast read because of the relation of the mask to humans today. The mask can relate to people becuase people mask their pain all the time, just like the slaves masked their own desperation and pain. By readings this poem some of the feelings that I felt were sadness and anger, like Hugo, becuase of what we did to the slaves, and making them mask their true feelings.

3. To Answer Abby's question I believe that the slaves chose to wear masks to hide their true feelings becuase if they showed their true feelings of anger, hurt, and sadness, they would be beat even more than they would have in the first place. Also, I feel that if the slaves showed their true feelings, they would not have been able to get their freedom becuase of the anger that they had built up for the white men during that time.

My Question:
1. What do you think the author means when he says, "Nay let them only see us When we wear the mask?"

[alexmaravic]

1. I agree with Morgan and JT with their interpretation of the poem and I interpreted the poem in a few different ways. Personally, I think the poem is about how African Americans were treated cruelly and unfairly during this time period. Their feelings and thoughts didn't count because in the eyes of the white society, the slaves were considered to be possessions not people. This poem is speaking to those African Americans, telling them to be strong and keep their heads up no matter how hard or how miserable they are. I also feel that Dunbar is trying to give his readers strength and courage to get through their sorrows.

2. This poem made me realize how difficult life for African Americans must have been and made me appreciate the life I have. All of the hopelessness and misery these people must have felt is evident in the poem. Dunbar showed how people are not invincible and are easy to break. Reading this poem made me realize how alike all people are. Race, gender, and age have nothing to do with feelings because every person experiences pain and happiness.

3. (Answering Sam's question) When the author says, "Nay let them only see us When we wear the mask" I think he is trying to show the vulnerability of human beings. When people show their innermost feelings like sadness and hopelessness, they become vulnerable. Once other people see how weak they are, they can be taken advantage of. I believe that Dunbar is trying to encourage his readers to be strong so society doesn't take advantage of them even more. The only way they can avoid this is by wearing a "mask" and keeping their emotions to themselves which would protect them in the longrun.

Question:
What message do you think the author was trying to get across by writing this poem?

[abigaildolan]

1) I agree with what everyone has posted so far, that it is the slaves who wear the masks. I can also see what JT means though, that it is perhaps not just slaves but society as a whole who wears the mask. All people have at one point hidden their true feelings from others, putting on a mask of contentment. It could be that both slaves and masters put on masks. Perhaps slave masters put on masks of dominance and cunning to force their slaves into subservience. The slaves wear masks to hide the hate and anger they feel for being slaves, for allowing themselves to be treated this way. The Author hints at things hidden behind the masks and how their hearts bleed. I think it speaks of slaves working in fields, singing as they work, and perhaps not in America but in a place where the soil is more like clay. The poem also talks about a 'debt to human guile' as though the people wearing the masks have been tricked into their position in the world. It is like they blame themselves for being so foolish as to be tricked into their own misery and now they hide their shame and torture so that those who tricked them can not laugh at them.

2) I liked this poem. It was interesting and I liked the idea of wearing a mask. Everyone feels like they need to hide some part of them and I think The Author felt that way too. It was sort of sad though to think that these people feel so trapped in their misery that they need to put on masks of happiness to hide what appears to be hatred and misery. Still I like the way the poem flowed and showed a sort of inside view of what the people were thinking.

3) I'll be answering Sam's question. I think when the Author wrote 'Nay let them only see us while we wear the mask' he was trying to tell them not to show their true feelings. To not give those oppressing them the satisfaction of knowing that the mask wearers were in pain. He wanted them to be strong even though they were hurt and felt bad, to not show them how they truly felt. So that they could not use their pain to make them feel worse. The masks hid their feelings, but they probably also helped them cope with the pain.

My Question - The Author mentions in the first stanza 'the mouth with myriad subtleties' among the more obvious 'hides our cheeks and shades our eyes' what do you think he could mean by these infinitely many subtleties of the mouth? Are they just frowning or is it something deeper?

[dylanzaliwski]

1. The meaning of this poem is simple, yet powerful. The poem talks about "wearing a mask." This means that we all wear a mask to hide something about ourselves for many reasons. Whether its because of pain, anger, jealousy, sadness, etc., we all have something that we may hide for one reason or another.

2. I like this poem because its meaning can be very positive in a way. If you are going through a difficult time you may "wear a mask" to show that you are strong and to show everyone else that you are strong, no matter what is happening.

3. (Answering Alex's Question) The author wants to shows that we all "wear a mask" to hide something about ourselves or the people around us.

(My Question) Does the author think that "wearing a mask" is sign of strength or weakness?

[martinwawszkowicz]

1. I agree completely with everybody above. The slaves are those that are wearing the masks. Behind that mask, a slave cannot reveal his or her true identity leaving them hiding behind the mask. They cannot show their emotions or even say what they would want to say, because behind that mask they have to be what the mask tells them to be. The slaves have to put on the mask, and even with torn and bleeding hearts they have to smile. They must do what their master tells them to do, the way that he wants them to do it.

2. I enjoyed this piece of literature, yet it was not pleasant to read. The way that it tells of all of the struggles that slaves had to go through, and couldn't do anything about it. I like how the mask conceals who they are from their master, so that they would not get punished for what they were really feeling on the inside. The mask gives them strength and hope to not give in to the slavery.

3. In response to Dylan's question, I believe that the mask is a sign of strength. By having a secret identity behind the mask, the master never really knows what is going on with the slaves. Therefore the master never really has total control over who the slaves really are so they can hide behind the mask.

My Question: Do you think that the masters ever saw through the masks of the slaves?

[seanpalen]

1. I agree mostly with what Martin said. It is true that the slaves are definitely wearing masks hiding who they truly are and hiding the pain they must feel. Yet, I also feel it applies to anyone. We all hide how we truly feel about something at one point and another and put on a mask that makes everything seem okay. Although I think Dunbar wrote this poem about slaves I think it applies to any race and any gender.

2. I liked the poem. The rhyme scheme and words were elegant while still carrying a strong message. Dunbar did an excellent job of creating a poem people would enjoy reading while thinking about its inner meaning as well. "We Wear the Mask" is truly a powerful and ground-breaking poem.

3. Martin's Question- I do think there may of been points where the masters did see through the "masks" worn by their slaves. Not all masters were truly bad people and may of actually cared a little for their slaves. In this circumstance a slave may of showed what lie under his mask.
My Question- Do you think we all wear a mask at one point or another?

[timhoffman]

1. This poem showed me that Dunbar believed that people didn't show their true nature to others, wearing a mask as it were. But as the poem progresses it starts to display his belief that even though we do not show people who we truly are, they don't necessarily have the right to see the true you. The piece goes on to say that people try as hard as they can to be happy and not need a mask, but in the end no one is perfect and certain handicaps are needed.

2. While this poem showed great skill, it was slightly depressing and gave me a rush of negative emotions.

3. (Sean's Question) There isn't a person on this earth who hasn't worn a mask at one point or another. However, there are some people who will hide behind one for their entire life and will never admit to it.

[alexmaravic]

1. I agree with Dylan's interpretation but I also think that there is some more meaning behind the poem. I also think the author wanted to show how all people are alike despite race and where they come from because everyone hides their emotions and pain sometimes.

2. (answering Sean's question) I think that everyone wears masks because when you look at someone, you can never know everything that is going on with them. It's easier to just hide your emotions then to deal with them. I think that hiding your emotions is a defense mechanism so people don't appear vulnerable.

Question:
What do you think the author meant by this line, "This debt we pay to human guile"? What is the debt?