WorksheetsWe wear the Mask
Total questions: 15
Worksheet time: 23mins
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!
#1 The mask that the author describes is the best example of what literary device?
Imagery
Alliteration
Symbolism
Metaphor
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?
Agony
Happiness
Anger
Peace
Which word indicates that the speaker omits specific identifiers?
"we"
"wear"
"masks"
The people in the poem use a masquerade to...
tell a lie
disguise their pain
torture their friends
pretend to be wise
RL.2
Which of the following best describes a central theme of the text?
It's important to hide our emotions from the world
Identity comes from what we do and are, not what we look like.
Silence allows people to stay strong in difficult situations, even though it does have consequences.
Everybody wears some kind of mask
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.
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"
