The speaker says, “We sing, but oh, the clay is vile / Beneath our feet, and long the mile.” (Lines 12-13) What is the most likely interpretation of these lines? * A. The people dislike the journey, so they sing a happy song to make themselves feel better.
Why do people sing happy songs?
What does the speaker say about suffering?
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What is the metaphor in the poem We Wear the Mask?
Is We Wear the Mask a metaphor? Metaphor: The poet has used the extended metaphor of “mask” to illustrate the false persona that people put on to hide their real feelings and true emotions from other people. … The poet has used visual imagery such as, “torn and bleeding hearts”; “We smile” and “Beneath our feet.”
What does the last stanza of We Wear the Mask mean?
Stanza Three We wear the mask! The final stanza of this piece contains six lines. It begins with the speaker increasing the already dark nature of the piece. He explains how “We smile” but no matter what the “cries” come out from “tortured souls.” They “arise” from behind the mask and into the real, knowable world.
What does the mask symbolize In We Wear the Mask?
Paul Laurence Dunbar's “We Wear the Mask” depicts the world as a deceitful one. It shows society as one that often hides behind things to prevent reality from showing. It gives examples of how people attempt to hide their feelings and illuminates what is actually happening inside of them.
What does the line the debt we pay to human guile mean?
The “debt we pay to human guile," (Line 3) means the unhappiness they feel is related to them deceiving others. Both lines are hyperboles that emphasize the struggle behind the mask. The figurative language not only shows the theme of discernment, but shows its impact.
Can clay be vile?
In line 12, the speaker refers to a "clay" that is "vile." This clay isn't the kind of stuff you mold in art class. "Clay" is often used in literature as shorthand for dry, cracked ground/earth on which people walk, while "vile" essentially means wicked, disgusting, or horrible.
What does torn and bleeding hearts mean?
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, This means that although sometimes we feel sad and broken by whatever it may be we still continue to show a smile, and hide our true feelings from the rest of the world. And mouth with myriad subtleties.
What does and mouth with myriad subtleties mean?
Line 5. And mouth with myriad subtleties. More fancy words: "myriad" means having lots of something, too many to count even. And "subtleties" simply refer to things that come across as subtle, gentle, less obvious. The word "mouth" is not the thing you eat with, but rather is being used here as a verb, like talk.
What does a black mask symbolize?
“The black surgical mask means you're going to follow the rules and protect other people and yourself, but you're not that precious about it.” Not to mention that in an uncertain time, the black mask has the reliable and comforting effect that wearing all black does.
Why should the world be over Wise in counting all our tears and sighs meaning?
Dunbar asks “Why should the world be over-wise / In counting all our tears and sighs?” because the world he speaks of often views him and others of his skin color through the distorted lens of racism, and would not look sympathetically on his genuine frustrations and concerns.
Who are the tortured souls in We Wear the Mask?
And as we see the truth, we begin to notice that the speaker's language is becoming more emotional and distraught: "O great Christ," "cries," "tortured." And the plain truth of the matter is that these are "tortured souls" that are crying for help even if they appear to "smile."
What does it mean by why should the world be Overwise?
He asks, “Why should the world be overwise?” This question suggests that if the world starts caring about the pains and the grief that the African Americans are going through, then the world would be too wise. So to prevent the world from being “over wise”-make good judgments-then they would keep wearing their masks.
How long does singing last in a world built on a “vile” structure?
One is only able to overcome an unsteady and dangerous situation for a limited period of time. Singing can only go on for so long in a world built on a “vile” structure. In the final lines, the speaker explains that the “vile” clay stretches on far “Beneath our feet.”. It lasts for miles on end.
Why is the world over wise? answer : in its counting of “all our tears and sighs?
He asks why the “world be over-wise” in its counting of “all our tears and sighs?” While this is a very serious question, it is clear the speaker finds something ironic about it. It does not take much skill to take in the ”tears and sighs” of the world. These are clear emotional expressions that are used here to represent the deepest of societal problems. Dunbar was likely referring to the struggle to achieve equal rights, overcome segregation and racial violence. Anyone living in the world can see that these things are present and deeply problematic, even if they are obscured by masks.
Why does Dunbar use the word "we" in the poem?
It is also the line that later became the title of the poem. He is using the word “We” to allow the reader to include themselves in the text. All people are among those who “wear mask [s].”. That being said, Dunbar is well-known as a pioneer of the Harlem Renaissance.
Why does the poem "Hearts are changed through tearing and mouths contain endless expressions" continue?
The poem continues on to sarcastically ask why humankind should put out the effort to see behind the masks. It is so clear that we should take the time, but the world does not seem willing to.
What is the fourth stanza of the piece?
The fourth stanza of this piece is a quatrain, meaning it contains four lines. These lines begin with the speaker asking a rhetorical question. He does not expect to receive an answer. This does not mean the question lacks importance. It is posed to make one consider the state of the world and perhaps further the question themselves.
Why do people sing happy songs?
A The people dislike the journey, so they sing a happy song to make themselves feel better.
What does the speaker say about suffering?
The speaker talks about suffering which "hides our cheeks and shades our eyes". He then went on to state "We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries / To thee from tortured souls arise." And when he says "We sing, but oh the clay is vile / Beneath our feet, and long the mile;" he seems to say that despite the hardships faced by them, they will pretend to be joyful and show a happy face that everyone expects and wants to see, and he will hide his true feelings behind the mask.
Where do the words mentioned in the question come from?
The words mentioned in the question come from each of the stanzas.
Why did people turn away from the side of the blacks?
Even people who were on the side of the blacks would often turn away because they did not want to get involved when some brutality was happening. The jobs that were offered and held by the black man were demeaning: maids, handy men, shoeshine boys, porters, cooks, wash women and ditch diggers. Nothing was equal.
What is the theme of the poem "The Black People"?
This poem speaks to the black people who were forced to hide their annoyance and hurt with a mask of happiness and gratification. This is the theme of the poem. Dunbar was still living in a time when racial prejudice was rampant, certainly throughout the south. During Dunbar’s life time, black people were still subservient to the white man.
Is the poem "Masked" a race?
To add to the idea of the mask, the poem itself is masked. It never mentions the race or the real subject of the poem. Of course, if the reader in Dunbar’s day wanted to pursue the poem, he would have noted that the poet was a black man.
Do not let the white man see the black man?
There is no reason to let the white man or the world know about the remorse and [tears] hurt. Do not let them see the black man as he really is, but only the masks of agreement and submission.
Why do people use eyes in poetry?
Eyes are often used in poetry (and literature in general) to represent a person's truest self—think of the phrase "eyes are the window to the soul.". The fact that this mask "shades" its wearers' eyes emphasizes how much the wearers must hide not just what they're feeling, but who they are.
What is the speaker's identity?
As a result, these people effectively have two identities: a true self, hidden behind the mask, and the self they present to simply get by in a prejudiced society.
What is Maya Angelou's interpretation of Dunbar's poem?
Maya Angelou's Interpretation — Maya Angelou reads her adaptation of Dunbar's poem, which further expands upon the themes of black experience, coded language, and survival.
Where did the word "we wear the mask" come from?
Form. "We Wear the Mask" is a variation of the rondeau, a form that originated in France in the 14th and 15th centuries. A rondeau consists of three stanzas that incorporate a refrain and a specific rhyme scheme.
What does the second line of the speech mean?
The second line continues to describe the mask as covering the entirety of the speaker's face, demonstrating that the mask fully obscures any features which could give away the speaker's true emotions. In particular, note how the mask casts a shadow over the eyes of those who wear it.
Why is the speaker saying "singing through the pain while standing above the earth that's wicked"?
So the speaker is saying that they're singing through the pain while standing above the earth that's "vile" (wicked) because it provides only pain and suffering for these folks. And yet that vile earth is still their home/origins, which makes things even worse.
What rhyme scheme does Dunbar use in his poem?
Dunbar ends his poem as a rondeau should, with another line ("otherwise") matching the first rhyme scheme of "lies/eyes/sighs," etc. (Again, it all makes sense in "Form and Meter," we promise.)
Why is it safe to assume that people aren't savvy to what's really going on?
If the world is dreaming, it's safe to assume that people aren't savvy to what's really going on, mostly because the world chooses not to be. Again, perhaps it's easier to just accept the mask and avoid the truth .
Why do people sing happy songs?
A The people dislike the journey, so they sing a happy song to make themselves feel better.
What does the speaker say about suffering?
The speaker talks about suffering which "hides our cheeks and shades our eyes". He then went on to state "We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries / To thee from tortured souls arise." And when he says "We sing, but oh the clay is vile / Beneath our feet, and long the mile;" he seems to say that despite the hardships faced by them, they will pretend to be joyful and show a happy face that everyone expects and wants to see, and he will hide his true feelings behind the mask.
