Question

How would the poem “We Wear the Mask” be different if Paul Laurence Dunbar had written it in more informal language or without as much structure?

Answer 1

Answer: This is what Plado put:

“We Wear the Mask” would have been interpreted as subjective and emotional if Dunbar had used more informal language and fewer structural elements. Simpler words would have been more accessible to his audience. However, the formal structure allows all Americans to relate to the poem, no matter their race. The formal structure is evident in the following lines:

Why should the world be over-wise,

In counting all our tears and sighs?

Nay, let them only see us, while

In this case, Dunbar uses an old English word, nay—not likely a word that every African American at the time knew. Dunbar uses such formal language and structure to present his point of view in an objective manner to readers.

This is what I put:

"The mask" referenced in the sonnet is an exterior Dunbar says is "worn" by African Americans in the public eye.

This "cover" depicts one bunch of socially OK feelings and practices, paying little heed to what an individual may really be feeling. Albeit the African Americans who wear "the cover" probable talk in a less conventional tongue normal in Dunbar's different works, that approach to talking isn't "decent" or permitted in White society.

Similar as these individuals should wear the cover, they should likewise talk such that plays up their "decency" and conceals their own social practices and approach to talking.

The lingual authority of the Mask builds up its subject such that a more casual word usage proved unable.

Step-by-step explanation:

I hope this helps!

Answer 2

"The mask" mentioned in the poem is a facade Dunbar says is "worn" by African Americans in society. This "mask" portrays one set of socially acceptable emotions and behaviors, regardless of what a person may actually be feeling.

The formal, elevated diction of the poem reflects this idea. Although the African Americans who wear "the mask" likely speak in a less formal dialect common in Dunbar's other works, that way of speaking is not "respectable" or allowed in White society. Much like these people must wear the mask, they must also speak in a way that plays up their "respectability" and hides their own cultural practices and way of speaking. Therefore, the diction of the poem reinforces its theme in a way that a more informal diction could not.

Step-by-step explanation: