Journal #2

We Wear the Mask
By: Paul Lawrence Dunbar
Literary Critic

This poem is written in assonance; the last words in every two line rhyme. The poem is also written in iambic pentameter and sounds as if a heart is beating. The main message of this poem is that African American slaves were mistreated. Not only so, but that they had to hide their feelings of agony and smile. The author describes them as wearing a mask to conceal their true feelings towards their mistreatment. The tone of the poem is very serious and you can also feel strength in voice of this person. The author conveys this speaker as having strength because although he suffers, he continues to wear the mask. The author was definitely effective in conveying his message as the tone adds and evokes a lot of emotion. The iambic pentameter also adds that feeling of a heart beat which a person can relate to and actually feel the poem as they are reading it. The language is very strong and writing this in a poetic form adds more to what the author conveys. The lines are short but they are phrases with strong words. Again the language combined with the iambic pentameter adds feeling and evokes emotions of sympathy and wanting to help out. The audience would be someone interested in human rights because this poem really speaks out on the oppressiveness African Americans went through during slavery times.