We Wear the Mask by Sharon

We Wear the Mask

Which of the following best describes a central theme of the text?

• Identity comes from what we do and are, not what we look like.

• Resilience comes in many forms, such as silence, though this silence does have consequences

• Tragedy should be openly mourned and not hidden away.

• Social pressure can turn independent people into just faces in a crowd.

Which of the following quotes best supports the theme?

• “We wear the mask that grins and lies, / It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes” (Lines 1-2

• This debt we pay to human guile” (Line 3)

• “O great Christ, our cries / To thee from tortured souls arise.” (Lines 10-11)

• “We sing, but oh the clay is vile / Beneath our feet, and long the mile” (Lines 12-13

Why must the people (the “we” mentioned) wear the mask?

• The people wear the mask to protect their faces and themselves.

• The people wear the mask because they are told to by the larger society.

• The people wear the mask to keep their identities a secret.

• The people wear the mask to hide their suffering.

In the final stanza, what does the setting of the "long... mile" contribute to the message of the poem?

• The setting of a “long... mile” suggests that the masked people feel lost and cannot figure out which way to go, thus contributing to the message of identity.

• The figurative setting suggests that the masked people have been on a long 'journey' (or mile) facing many challenges but still have farther to travel, thus contributing to the message of resilience.

• The setting of the "long... mile" is paved with "vile" clay, implying that hiding one's feelings is wrong and thus adding to the message of honesty.

• The setting is paved with "vile" clay, implying that the masked people hate the world for making them walk such a “long… mile” and thus adding to the message's demand for change.

Which of the following is an example of personification?

• "We wear the mask that grins and lies"

• "This debt we pay to human guile"

• "With torn and bleeding hearts we smile"

• "Nay, let them only see us while we/Wear the mask"

What is the mask a likely metaphor for?

• A safeguard

• A necessary tool

• A forced way of life

• People's feelings

Which is an example of hyperbole?

• "With torn and bleeding hearts we smile"

• "Why should the world be overwise"

• "We sing, but oh the clay is vile"

• "But let the world dream otherwise"

How would you describe the speaker's feelings overall?

• regretful

• painful

• joyous

• victorious

What is "the world" referring to in line 6?

• The physical earth

• The speaker's family

• The people of the earth

• A new generation

Why is it important that the mask "hides cheeks and shades eyes" instead of nose, teeth, ears, etc?

• They are randomly chosen by the author

• Those are his favorite parts

• Those are the only parts that a mask cover

• These parts of the face are vital for making expressions of emotion