An Ubiquitous Poem, We Wear the Mask by Paul Lawrence Dunbar

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Recommended: A critical analysis of wearing a mask

We Wear the Mask, written in 1886 by Paul Lawrence Dunbar, is a ubiquitous poem that has a copious amount of interpretations; nonetheless, one of the most prevalent interpretation of the poem is that of Paul Dunbar’s background. Paul Dunbar was an African American who grew up during the time of slavery; consequently, We Wear the Mask is conceived to be written as an exemplification of the grievances faced by African Americans, during the period of slavery. Though We Wear the Mask was written over a century ago and for a reason – life for African American, during the period of slavery – it can be applied to numerous social situations faced in our present society; one of them being domestic abuse – one being treated with cruelty or violence by a spouse or family member who is supposed to protect him/her from the evils of the world.
We Wear the Mask illustrates how humans don on masks to shield horrid emotions or situations that are being experienced in order to be perceive as flawless and protect love ones and ourselves from the dreadful truths ;the poem also discourse the feeling...

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