Embrace the Power of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s Legacy: The Mask We Wear
Paul Laurence Dunbar (June 27, 1872 – February 9, 1906) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
He was born in Dayton, Ohio. His parents had been enslaved in Kentucky before the Civil War.
Dunbar began writing stories and verse when he was a child. He published his first poems at the age of 16 in a Dayton newspaper, and served as president of his high school''s literary society.
He became one of the first influential Black poets in American literature and was internationally acclaimed for his dialect verse in collections such as Majors and Minors (Hadley & Hadley, 1895) and Lyrics of Lowly Life (Dodd, Mead and Company, 1896).
We Wear the Mask
BY PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR
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 myriad 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 clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!
Paul Laurence Dunbar, a pioneering force in American literature, left behind powerful works that speak to the struggles, resilience, and experiences of Black individuals. Through his poignant verse, especially in "We Wear the Mask," Dunbar captured the emotional complexity of living in a world that demands conformity, while masking the pain beneath.
Let’s reflect on Dunbar’s timeless words and how they resonate with us today. His courage to speak truth through poetry is a reminder that even in moments of struggle, our voices carry strength.
Take a moment today to reflect on Dunbar’s poem “We Wear the Mask.” How does it speak to your experiences? Share your thoughts with us—how do you show up in the world, and what masks do you wear? Let’s honour his legacy by embracing and sharing our own truth.
