We Wear the Mask

Directions: Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow.

Paul Laurence Dunbar – “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 countless subtleties.

Why should the world be over-wise,

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 ground is vile

Beneath our feet, and long the mile;

But let the world dream otherwise,

We wear the mask!

#2 The people in the poem use a masquerade to

• tell a lie

• disguise their pain

• torture their friends

• pretend to be wise

Directions: Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow.

Paul Laurence Dunbar – “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 countless subtleties.

Why should the world be over-wise,

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 ground is vile

Beneath our feet, and long the mile;

But let the world dream otherwise,

We wear the mask!

#4 Why does the author include line 4 in the poem?

• To show how a broken heart can make us smile

• To show how much a torn and bleeding heart can hurt

• To show how a broken heart doesn't really hurt

• To show how our emotions can act as a mask

Directions: Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow.

Paul Laurence Dunbar – “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 countless subtleties.

Why should the world be over-wise,

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 ground is vile

Beneath our feet, and long the mile;

But let the world dream otherwise,

We wear the mask!

#5 What is the mood/ tone of this poem?

• Misery

• Happiness

• Anger

• Peace

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
• These parts of the face are vital for making expressions of emotion
• Those are his favorite parts
• Those are the only parts that maska cover

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.

Which of the following is an example of personification?

• "Why should the world be overwise/in counting all our tears and sighs?"

• "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 a poem's stanza?

• the row of words

• a group of lines repeating the poem's pattern

• the rhyming pattern

• rhyming of words inside the line and at the end of the line

What is end rhyme

• rhyming of words at the end of lines

• a group of lines repeating the poem's pattern

• the rhyming pattern

• rhyming of words inside the line and at the end of the line

The overall message of the text; the big idea about life that the author is trying to convey is called:

• A Metaphor

• Alliteration

• A Stanza

• Theme

Giving human-like characteristics or human actions to objects, animals or ideas is called:

• Alliteration

• Tone

• Imagery

• Personification