"We Wear the Mask" is a poignant poem written by the late Paul Laurence Dunbar. It delves into the experiences of black people in America and underlines the oppression they faced. The poem uses the metaphor of a 'mask' to describe.....
We Wear the Mask - New Voices - Class 7 - English
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Back Questions - We Wear the Mask | New Voices | Literature | English | Class 7
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes, –
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes, –
a. Whom does ‘we’ refer to?
b. What kind of lies do we tell?
c. To whom do ‘we’ tell lies?
d. What does ‘shades our eyes’ mean?
a. 'We' refers to all of us, the people. It is a collective term used to express humankind's common habit of hiding true feelings or realities.
b. The kind of lies we tell are those that protect us from revealing our true feelings or circumstances to the outside world. These can be things like pretending to be happy when we're not, or pretending everything is fine when it's not.
c. 'We' tell lies to the world, to society, and perhaps even to ourselves. We perform a charade in an attempt to meet social expectations, to fit in, or to avoid unwanted sympathy or judgment.
d. 'Shades our eyes' acts as a metaphor meaning we hide our real emotions or personal truths. Eyes are often referred to as the windows to the soul, so shading them symbolizes covering up one's true emotions or realities. It means we mask the truth and don't allow others to see the pain or struggles we may be going through.
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…to thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile…
a. Who is ‘thee’ in these lines?
b. What ‘arises’?
c. What does the term ‘tortured souls’ mean?
d. Which clay is referred to in these lines?
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Sign up nowBut let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!
a. Why has the poet used the word ‘but’ in these lines?
b. What does ‘otherwise’ mean in this context?
c. What would happen if we didn’t wear the mask?
d. Why does the poet sound bitter here? Give reasons for your answer.
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Sign up nowHow does a mask ‘grin and lie’?
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Sign up nowWhat kind of people wear masks?
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Sign up nowWhy do people want to hide their tears, according to the poet?
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Sign up nowWhat does the poet say to Christ?
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Sign up nowWhen do people think of Christ?
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Sign up nowDo people show Christ their masks? How do you know?
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Sign up nowWhich words are used by the poet to express his feelings in the first stanza?
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Sign up nowWhat is the tone of the first two stanzas? Support your answer with specific evidence from the text.
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Sign up nowDoes the tone of the poem remain the same or change at the end?
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Sign up nowExplain the line: With torn and bleeding hearts we smile.
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Sign up nowWhy is the line ‘We wear the mask’ repeated in the poem?
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Sign up nowIn the line ‘with torn and bleeding hearts we smile’, the poet uses hyperbole to exaggerate the suffering that the African Americans went through.
Now, tick () the sentences in which a hyperbole has been used.
They were extremely happy to see their parents.
It was so hot; that I could have fried an egg on the windowsill.
They will arrive tomorrow.
He was so hungry he could have eaten a horse.
I have a million books to read today.
I had to whisper.
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Sign up nowThe poet has used personification in the poem. Give an example from the poem for the same.
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Sign up nowHow does the poet prove that people are hypocritical? Suggest lines from the poem to support your answer.
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Sign up nowExtra Questions - We Wear the Mask | New Voices | Literature | English | Class 7
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 hears we smile
And mouth with myriad subtleties,
What does the phrase “This debt we pay to human guile” signify in the context of the poem? Does it suggest a sense of obligation or a business transaction? Explain.
Analyze the symbolism found in the mask that “grins and lies”. How does it reflect the persona’s emotions and inner state?
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 hears we smile
And mouth with myriad subtleties,
What does the phrase “This debt we pay to human guile” signify in the context of the poem? Does it suggest a sense of obligation or a business transaction? Explain.
Analyze the symbolism found in the mask that “grins and lies”. How does it reflect the persona’s emotions and inner state?
The phrase “This debt we pay to human guile” signifies the necessity for one to wear a figurative ‘mask’ to navigate through society. This phrase indeed suggests a sense of obligation, typically a psychological or emotional tax levied on individuals for their need to conform to societal expectations.
The symbolism found in the mask that “grins and lies” is quite potent. It illustrates the disparity between the outer appearance and inner emotions of a person. Externally, the person may be smiling and seemingly cheerful, but internally, they might be lying about their true feelings.
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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 hears we smile
And mouth with myriad subtleties,
The line “With torn and bleeding hearts we smile” suggests a sense of suffering or pain. Given the context of the poem, what is this pain or suffering due to and how does it relate to the act of wearing the mask?
“It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes” - What does hiding cheeks and shading eyes symbolize in the poem?
What does “mouth with myriad subtleties” infer about the persona’s communication or the concept of ‘mask-wearing’ in social communication?
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Sign up nowAbout the Poet - We Wear the Mask | New Voices | Class 7 Literature | English
Paul Laurence Dunbar was an African-American poet, novelist, and playwright of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Dayton, Ohio, on June 27, 1872, Dunbar was one of the first influential black poets in American literature, and he was celebrated for writing verse that directly addressed the experiences and hardships of African-Americans.
His parents were freed slaves from Kentucky, and they always encouraged their son to pursue his education and writing talents. Despite facing racial discrimination, Dunbar distinguished himself in high school with his talent for poetry, prose, and public speaking.
Dunbar published his first collection of poetry, "Oak and Ivy", in 1892, and garnered national recognition with his 1896 collection "Lyrics of a Lowly Life", which included one of his most famous poems, "We Wear the Mask". Despite his success, Dunbar struggled with poverty and alcoholism, dying prematurely in 1906 at the age of 33.
He was known for his use of two distinct styles in his works: standard English and dialect. His work often addressed the difficulties encountered by members of his race and the efforts of African-Americans to achieve equality in America. Dunbar’s legacy continues to inspire and influence the work of contemporary poets.
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Themes - We Wear the Mask | New Voices | Class 7 Literature | English
1. Hidden Emotions and Hypocrisy: The main theme that runs through the entire course of the poem is the wearing of a metaphorical 'mask' that hides one's true feelings from the world. This poem highlights the duality of appearance and reality, and how people often smile and put on a facade of happiness, concealing their sorrows.....
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Unlock now 🔓Symbols - We Wear the Mask | New Voices | Class 7 Literature | English
1. The Mask: The most prominent symbol in the poem, the 'mask' signifies a facade or persona people present to the world to hide their true feelings. For Dunbar, the mask is a powerful metaphor for the way African-Americans.....
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Unlock now 🔓Poetic Devices - We Wear the Mask | New Voices | Class 7 Literature | English
1. Metaphor: The most central poetic device in the poem is the metaphor of the 'mask'. The mask represents the falsified expression of happiness that hides the true suffering and pain beneath.
2. Alliteration: Dunbar uses alliteration, or the repetition of initial consonant sounds, for emphasis and flow. An example is.....
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