Symbols And Techniques Used In Dunbar's They Wear The Mask

It speaks of how African Americans have to hide behind a mask that hides all their sorrow and pain. Dunbar questions why we have to wear the mask, “Why should the world be overwise, In counting all our tears and sighs? Nay, let them only see us, while We wear the mask.”(918). He speaks of how all of this should not be happening but in the end everyone is still hiding who they are and what they are really feeling. This poem could account for more than just African Americans. Everyone has worn a mask at one point in their lives but the real question is why? Temptations like in “Wife of His Youth” or to get away like in “’Member Youse a Nigger” have had major effects on people and their lives. Being an African American was a hard life for a long time because slavery and the civil war cause many deaths and many families to be broken

This mask holds back all the sorrow, protects you from being further destroyed by others words or actions, and covers up the real extreme problems people are facing such as suicide and drug overdose. Both texts use these “masks” metaphorically to show how the people protect themselves.

The poem We Wear the Masks by Paul Dunbar is an example of how people hide their feelings due to what others think of them. Like in the book To Kill a Mockingbird, the colored people in town are stereotyped due to their color and looks. The poem states, “We wear the mask that grins and lies, it hides our cheeks and shades our eyes” (Dunbar). When people are stereotyped they hide their feelings to make others happy. Wearing the mask is a symbol of how people cover themselves to get away from their feelings.

Helping making the theme of this poem clear that many blacks wore a mask that suggested happiness and contentment, but concealed

Dunbar opens his poem with “We wear the mask,” to draw in any type of

During this time, Harlem drew black writers, artists, musicians, photographers, poets, and scholars. People had come from the South, fleeing oppression in order to find a place where they could freely express their talents. African Americans did manage to succeed in the arts but because of the color of their skin, they faced some problems. The poem “Sonnet To A Negro in Harlem” by Helene Johnson provided this “Why urge ahead your supercilious feet? Scorn will efface each footprint you make” which means that every time a black person succeeds, it will be erases by contempt that whites have towards them. As African Americans become more affluent, they realize that not everyone will accept their triumph so they end up putting up a front or wearing a mask that hides who they truly are. The poem “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Lawrence Dunbar says “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” which means why does the world pretend to understand the struggles that blacks have gone through. To avoid that situation, blacks should wear a mask to conceal their difficulties so that everybody else doesn’t need to claim they apprehend their endeavors. These poems show that the roles of African Americans changes from individuals who achieved success to ones who have to hide their

We Wear a Mask a poem written by Paul Laurence Dunbar has a deeper meaning than a person just wearing a mask. It represents a person trying to hide their true feelings. When the author uses “We” instead of “I” it indicates that the society as a whole wears a mask to hide from the truth. As mentioned in the first stanza it talks about the declaration that a group of people are wearing a mask; hides their true feeling. The second stanza translates to the world needs to pity and lament over the woes of the community. The third stanza translates to ending the poem with a proud declaration that even though we cry inside we take pride in it. The meaning of the poem leads to the tone being realistic, pleading and proud. In the poem, it says “with

 On the way to this crescendo, Dunbar continues to add depth and breadth to the mask metaphor. “Cheeks and eyes are being hidden, and in “mouth with myriad subtleties” At this point in the poem there is little to lead the reader

In this poem, Dunbar uses iambic tetrameter, refrain, and sound repetition in order to drive home his point. Dunbar is saying that despite the cruelties African Americans suffer they cant let their oppressors see them falter and must continue to work diligently towards equality. The iambic tetrameter keeps the poem slowly and steadily moving forward, reflecting African Americans slowly moving towards equality. The refrain of “We wear the mask,” strengthens and reinforces Dunbar’s call to keep moving forward.

Taking the theme of Mr. Dunbar's poem outside of paper and comparing it the current society its is oblivious there are numerous parallels between the two. In today's society, we all

We Wear the Mask 1. The mask symbolizes one hiding emotions or in other words, lying in a way. The mask is used to say that while the people felt one thing, they showed another. 2.

Repeating the phrase “we wear the mask” in each stanza embeds the seriousness of the deeper meaning into the readers mind. Giving the mask, world and clay humanlike features provides a sense of comparison and connection. We, as humans, mask our emotions every day. From the beginning we are brainwashed into thinking that if someone shows weakness or sorrow they are failure. In reality, a person cannot grow without failure; no lessons would be learned from pervious mistakes made.

Essentially, the person of this poem is asking why should the world get the right to know why they are truly upset, and potentially use it against them; instead, have pride, hold your head up high, and put on your “mask.” In doing so, the literary term paradox comes into play. This poem is about the true feelings of blacks being hidden behind masks, when also the poem itself hides the fundamental issue of racism from even being mentioned – that alone is a paradox because the poem has a mask on as well. This poem can also be seen as a paradox because this so called “we” is supposed to be wearing a mask when in fact they are expressing their feelings and becoming vulnerable, aka – no more mask.

Poetry has always been a mirror to see unseen emotions and to hear unheard thoughts. Magical words used in an artistic way allows the reader to feel what the poet is feeling, to listen what the poet is listening and to share what the poet is going through. The two poems “I’m Nobody! Who are You?” by Emily Dickinson, and “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar are two classical works of poetry. While Dunbar shares agonizing experience of an entire community, Dickinson shares her thoughts about individual characteristic and personality; in fact, she cleverly wins the case of an introvert. Both these poems are independent of each other in terms of thought as well as from literary perspective.

Regardless of the human psyche, feelings, identities, and emotions, society overwhelming fits its people into predestined molds, shaped and constructed over long periods of time. While all individuals have their own notions of what is “correct” and “normal,” there is not and will never be a manual for living. Opinions are often based on a belief system crafted by the individual and their surrounding influences, and it is important to take into account that people are flawed beings who thrive primarily on their perception of themselves as well as how they are perceived by the individuals around them. The ego is a powerful weapon that can create or destroy depending on how it is used by the individual. Paul Laurence Dunbar’s We Wear the Mask expressed the notion that we all must protect ourselves by promoting a specific outward appearance to the world around us, whether it be joy in the face of adversity, a new identity, or a skewed perception of what is expected in the human experience. Taking the mask off may very well be the most harrowing experience we face as vulnerable beings. While I fight so hard to be accepted and do what is right for all people, I have a hesitancy toward being complacent in my view of the world around me. I use the removal of my personal mask to bring about raw honesty in my writing and exploration of my innermost thoughts.