Paul Lawrence Dunbar was born on June 27 1872.He was the first nationally-accepted African American writer.In 1900 he was diagnosed with tuberculosis.He died February 9 1906 at the age of 33.
Summary Of Poem
"We Wear The Mask" is about the way we all change our face and personalities when our surroundings change.We don't want people to know we are sad and melancholy because of what others put us through.
Paraphrase Of Poem Lines
We look as though we are something that we are not.
We show a completely different face than what our emotions feel.
We put up that face to hide the pain others put us through.
We try our best to smile.
We say a thousand unnoticed lies.
The world sometimes figures out our lies.
So we lie even more.
We smile but our true feelings sometimes show.
We sing but our true feelings sometimes show.
We lie to the world and they believe us.
Figurative Language In Poem
This poem uses a hyperbole to express how serious the mask is and exaggerate it's power in the line "With torn and bleeding hearts we smile".
Theme Of Poem
The theme of the poem is how we pretentiously put up a front acting as if we are okay when we are not.We act like we are something we are not.
Personal Commentary
I like this poem because it is about something almost everyone can relate to.Everyone does it even when they don't think they are doing it. This poem was written by one of America's most famous African-American poets.Even though Paul Laurence Dunbar didn't live long his poetry will be read for a very long time.
I LIKE THIS POEM
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