We Wear The Mask
Friday, October 26th, 2007Famous abolitionist Frederick Douglass once called Paul Luarence Dunbar “the most promising young colored man in America.” And by the time of his death, Dunbar was known, not only in America, but in Europe as well for his writing. He was born into poverty, and his mother (an ex-slave) and his father were separated when Dunbar was only 2 years old. However, it was his mother’s love for songs and storytelling that inspired young Paul to read and write himself. At the age of 6, he began to write and recite poetry, and by the time he was twenty, he had already published a newsletter and was publishing his first collection of poetry. At only 21 years of age, he was asked to recite his work at the World’s Fair.
After reading the poem, write a short relection or post your comments about, “We wear The Mask”.
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 hearts we smile,And mouth with myriad subtleties.Why should the world be over-wise,In counting all our tears and sighs?Nay, let them only see us, whileWe wear the mask.We smile, but, O great Christ, our criesTo thee from tortured souls arise.We sing, but oh the clay is vileBeneath our feet, and long the mile;But let the world think other-wise,We wear the mask!
