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 overwise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.
We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
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!
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So True
From guest Tyra Brogdon (contact)
I totally agree with this poem from every aspect. It's natural for man-kind to hide thier shame, guilt, and sorrow form society just to appear as if everything was A-OK. As humans we need to let our emotions show and be ourselves. No one is perfect. There is not one person who dosen't have a problem. I too need to liberate myself of my own mask. -
As a descendant of slaves Dunbar was able to triumph over the evident racisism of his time by publishing 4 novels in addition to his short stories and poetry.
This poem could relate to anyone though that has to live a certain way in order to live!
Brilliant poetry. -
I was directed here by Poetryality's contest. I thought this piece was amazing. The third and fourth lines were my favorite. It really makes you think how often we cover true emotions in order not to make a spectacle of them because it is what is expected of us. Or is some cases when we choose to wear a mask when we cannot bear to bring the truth forth...
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Welcome MeagreAmbition
It is good to see you here for whatever reason. I too read this recently thanks to Poetreality and her competition.
Dunbar is indeed a fine poet as are most of the rest on this site.
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From guest my-key (contact)
Read this so many years ago and this is so relivent today as well. Thanks for refreshing us on the importance of perception and presentation. -
Wonderful Write
As I read this poem I am reminded how we all wear a mask at some time in our lives. There are times it is very hard to be vulerable in life and love. But we can not hide forever. Think of all we would miss. An excellent poem with wonderful rhyme scheme. A poem truly written from his heart.This poem is timelewss and could be written today too. Although I think it had a powerful meaniung when it was written long ago. Sandy
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This is one of my all time favorite poems. I read it is a profound statement regarding the happy, sometimes clownish facade that african americans were long forced to wear in order to survive. It was necessary to smile even in the face of hatred and insults. Negative emotions could not be outwardly shown as many viewed such attitudes as threatening, and to be threatening was to be in danger. In one sense, to me the mask represents protection. But in another sense, the mask represents retaining one's honor and pride, presenting a strong, proud face to one's tormentors in spite of the suffering they may be causing you. This piece remains timeless and profound because it also speaks universally to all of us who were masks to hide our pain from others.
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Yes we all wear a mask from time to time. To conceal our bad deeds or occasionally to conceal our good ones.
Would life be better or worse I wonder if the masks were completely removed? -
We certainly do wear masks!
All are guilty and disguise ourselves. We ache and don't want to carry the pain on our sleeves or to know they have hurt us - and won. Mine is usually a smile that disguises a current loss of love - never imagining myself in such a mess. And this clay that God made us from - we wash and shave each day hoping to be accepted maybe even loveable.
God Bless you Paul Lawrence Dunbar - your words are living on and still relevant today.
Tang
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Knowing the ethnicity of this poet helped to see his words in the light of his times. I think his meaning is universal for all people who are forced to assume a mask to survive in this world. Dunbar's cries are heartrending and his sorrow is evident in every line.
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We wear the mask
From guest mcheadle (contact)
to often whis is how we feel we must go through this world. If people can see the eyes they see the soul and whar we have hid indide otheres will know who and what we are all about. The expression of the face seems to give us away. -
From guest grannyeri (contact)
As one reads poems from authors, poets of earlier times, one notices that times have really not changed that much, thoughts are still the same; poets write about these feelings today, how we wear masks to cover up the pain inside. Great rhythm and rhyme in these lines; great flow and a cry for help from God, that maybe we might not be so tortured one day. How we cover up what is inside has not changed from then; we do it yet - first time I have heard of this poet, but think I might check out some of his other works. Could be that this relates to color as well, black/white relations not good at that time, much worse than it is today. -
Couldn't it just simply be...
From guest J. Wolf (contact)
Talking about how we, as human beings have to show ourselves to many different people in different ways? I'm in no way denying that it may have had racism as the basis for the poem, but in my mind it also seems that he was reaching deeper, more into the psyche of humans and saying, "But let the world dream otherwise, We wear the mask!". I believe this line more so means that even though we are all individual and know the truth of us, only others may dream to know what is it like. Just a thought.. -
What a wonderful poem
how very straight...a beautiful but full of pain melody of words.
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!
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Mmm
This will always be a favorite of mine. Strong in form; powerful in content. It saddens me how 'under' appreciated Dunbar is. -
This reminds me of the era when actors, black & white wore black face;
"the mask that grins and lies"
It was a task for Black actors to cover their faces when their skin was already dark. A psychological reaction made them feel even lower than they were treated by an oppressive white society.
"This debt we pay to human guile" in the 3rd line is definately denoting African-Americans of that day.
The 4th line also seems to allude to the darker race.
"and mouth with myriad subtleties"
Thousands of undetected injurious or insidious smiles when there was nothing to be happy about. Again-"black face".
Lines 6 & 7 cry out for us to smile regardless of the atrocities. Hide those feelings, don't let on that it hurts...
We had to wear the masks. What would have happened had we showed our true face of feelings.
I feel this poem as I am sure many do, no matter their cultural heritage. The rhyming is stellar. I love Dunbar and his poetry was my baby food. My grandmother recited his poems to us quite often. Good food!
Renee
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Ever the Actress
A wonderful commentary on the poem - you've reached down and personalized it - This mask covers many!
Tang
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My reading of the mask is slightly different in that I see it as a reference to the Janus Mask that actors used to wear to conceal their own emotion and display a stock character to the audience. A character that was therefore recognisable whoever was playing the part. Thus Dunbar is, I believe, saying that all the early Afro-Americans had to disemmble in public he is also effectively saying "They all look the same to me"
Jim
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I felt here he is saying that the mask is worn not for the African - american but for the white people. One side presented to the outside world and their deeper, innermost feelings kept out of sight as if to preserve them from being tainted in some way.
Von -
this is a great poem about the truths of our world. this is not just something recent, but something that has been around for a long while. we wear the mask
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Mind-Blowing
This was the poem that introduced me to Dunbar. Immediately I was caught up in his solid meter and resounding refrain line. I just cannot grow tiresome of Dunbar's poetry!!
I think that I'm more fond of the introduction of this poem than the conclusion.
I've sure known how it feels to wear a ficcade for society.
"Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask." -
Excellent write. The man certainly knew how to turn a phrase.
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A meaning of God and Godless Caps off to the thought we all have to keep a mask on or they will kick us out of the play. Odd but I do not like the stage that pays us with our own dust. Seems such a small bit part in the end when we are scattered away making room for another entrance.
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nice
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