Search results
"We Wear the Mask" was written by African American poet and novelist Paul Laurence Dunbar in 1895. Like much of Dunbar's work, "We Wear the Mask" is a reaction to the experience of being black in America in the late 19th century, following the Civil War—a period when life seemed to have improved for black Americans yet in reality was still marked by intense racism and hardship.
- Stanza One
- Stanza Two
- Stanza Three
In the first stanza of this piece, the speaker begins by utilizing the refrain. It is also the line that later became the title of the poem. He is using the word “We” to allow the reader to include themselves in the text. All people are among those who “wear mask[s].” That being said, Dunbar is well-known as a pioneer of the Harlem Renaissance. Thi...
The fourth stanza of this piece is a quatrain, meaning it contains four lines. These lines begin with the speaker asking a rhetorical question. He does not expect to receive an answer. This does not mean the question lacks importance. It is posed to make one consider the state of the world and perhaps further the question themselves. He asks why th...
The final stanza of this piece contains six lines. It begins with the speaker increasing the already dark nature of the piece. He explains how “We smile” but no matter what the “cries” come out from “tortured souls.” They “arise” from behind the mask and into the real, knowable world. He sets up a second contrast in the next lines with a comparison...
- Female
- October 9, 1995
- Poetry Analyst And Editor
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) ‘We Wear the Mask’ is a poem by the African-American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906), written in 1895 and included in Dunbar’s 1896 collection Majors and Minors. In the poem, Dunbar writes about the fact that many members of a marginalised community (which can be tacitly understood to ...
People also ask
Why do we wear masks?
Who wrote we wear the mask?
What does 'we wear the mask' mean?
What is a stanza of we wear the mask about?
Mar 17, 2024 · Dunbar’s “We Wear the Mask” thus stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of a community that, despite the odds, continued to hope and strive for a better future. Theme of “We Wear the Mask” The theme of “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar explores the intricacies of deception, resilience, and the human experience.
We Wear the Mask. " We Wear the Mask " is an 1895 poem in the rondeau form by Paul Laurence Dunbar. It is generally considered one of his most famous works and has been cited by several scholars as his best poem. The poem appeared in Dunbar's second volume of poetry.
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! Meanings of We Wear Masks The poem “We Wear Masks” presents the situation of the Africa American community hiding their suffering under the garb of the color of their skin though they have the same experiences as other ...
Overview. “We Wear the Mask” is a poem by the Black American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. The poem first appeared in Dunbar’s 1895 collection, Majors and Minors, and one of its distinguishing features is its use of a highly structured verse form known as a rondeau. Dunbar deploys the rondeau form to powerful effect, using the form’s ...
