Analysis of a Poem “We wear the mask” Essay - 936 Words

Amber Davis Professor Quirk Literature 101 February 28, 2013 We Wear the Mask The lyric poem â€Å"We wear the mask† by Paul Laurence Dunbar is a poem about the African American race, and how they had to conceal their unhappiness and anger from whites. This poem was written in 1895, which is around the era when slavery was abolished. Dunbar, living in this time period, was able to experience the gruesome effects of racism, hatred and prejudice against blacks at its worst. Using literary techniques such as: alliteration, metaphor, persona, cacophony, apostrophe and paradox, Paul Dunbar’s poem suggests blacks of his time wore masks of smiling faces to hide their true feelings.†¦show more content†¦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 â€Å"mask.† In doing so, the literary term paradox comes into play. This poem is about the true feelings of b lacks 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 â€Å"we† is supposed to be wearing a mask when in fact they are expressing their feelings and becoming vulnerable, aka – no more mask. Although each stanza has a bit of alliteration, the second stanza is the most dominant. Dunbar writes, â€Å"Why should the world be over-wise,/ In counting all our tears and sighs?/ Nay, let them only see us, while/ We wear our masks† (6-9). The alliteration in this stanza is used heavily with the letter â€Å"w.† With the use of this alliteration, it creates a sense of flow that helps the speaker get his point across more smoothly. Although the poem is more cacophonic, and harsh, rather than euphonic, and harmonious, the use of alliteration helps highlight the importance of this stanza’s sayings. The alliteration aspect of this stanzaShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Poem We Wear The Masks 842 Words   |  4 Pagesit would be?† Every day we make decisions that affect us and everyone around us. Sometimes the decisions we make are influenced by the people around us. There are influences that we see and some that are perpetuated on our thinking. The poems co nvey the importance of being true to oneself regardless of others opinions. Everyone you meet is not necessarily who you think they are. Many hide their fears and aspirations just like the speaker in â€Å"We Wear the Masks†. This poem was written in 1896. ItsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem We Wear The Mask By Paul Laurence Dunbar1539 Words   |  7 Pageshave hid from emotions; by putting on a false expression to mask the feeling of embarrassment, shame, pain or fear. Like the saying goes, â€Å"Don’t judge a book by its cover† by Bo Diddley. Don’t assume the happy, jubilant, joyous expressions that someone is expressing is real. Emotions are part of everyday life, but not everyone feels the need to express themselves honestly. In the poem â€Å"We Wear the Mask† by Paul Laurence Dunbar, the mask symbolizes the imaginary wall slaves hide behind for survivalRead More Analysis of We Wear the Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar Essay1345 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of We Wear the Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar â€Å"We Wear the Mask† by Paul Laurence Dunbar is a renowned piece of literature that has been the subject of various literary criticisms over the years. Because of the poem’s indirectness and generalized ambiguity, the interpretation of the â€Å"we† that wears the â€Å"mask† and why they do so is left unanimously undisclosed. 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In this volume Dunbar wrote a poem called, â€Å"We Wear the Mask.† In the poem, â€Å"We Wear the Mask†, lies and deceitRead MoreRhetorical Devices Of `` We Wear The Mask `` And `` Harlem ``885 Words   |  4 Pagesexperience in the United States during the early twentieth century. In writings such as, â€Å"We Wear the Mask† by Paul Lawrence Dunbar and â€Å"Harlem† by Langston Hughes, the use of rhetorical devices gives each writer the ability to provide commentary on the social, economic, and political circumstances that African-Americans faced in inner-city Harlem during the turn of the twentieth century. In â€Å"We Wear the Mask†, Dunbar primarily employs the rhetorical device of metaphorical allusion to give the reader