Question

What effect does the poet achieve by repeating the phrase, "we wear the mask" throughout the poem? complete the sentences to answer the question. In the poem "we wear the mask," paul laurence dunbar voices his repressed anger and frustration toward american society. He repeats the title phrase three times in the poem, using the words mask and we to show that. The first use of the phrase is matter-of-fact. In the second stanza, the statement is followed by a period, which shows resignation. However, at the end of the poem, dunbar almost shouts the phrase defiantly. The mask seems to become something he wears proudly. Through this gradual emphasis on the phrase, dunbar could be implying that.

Answer 1

The repeated phrase "we wear the mask" in Dunbar’s poem indicates the emotional facade people maintain in society, evolving from passive acceptance to a symbol of empowerment and self-preservation.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the poem We Wear the Mask, Paul Laurence Dunbar employs the repetition of the phrase "we wear the mask" to underscore the theme of deception and concealment that people display in their interactions with society. The poet repeats the title phrase to symbolize the universal pretense individuals adopt to hide their pain and true feelings from the world due to social pressures. Dunbar's use of repetition also signifies the collective struggle of African Americans during his time, who often had to mask their true emotions to survive in a society fraught with racial discrimination.

The phrase evolves from a statement of fact in the beginning to a resigned admission in the middle, and finally, to a defiant claim near the end. This progression signals a shift from a sense of forced compliance to a recognition of the mask as a form of self-preservation and empowerment in the face of adversity. The poem’s structure and choice of words compel the reader to consider the implications of such masking on individual identity and societal interaction.