We Wear the Mask
Summary
‘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!’
In these lines, Dunbar tries to showcase outward smiles but ends up revealing cries to the higher power ‘O great Christ.’ Such is an indication of having a mask of cheerfulness while hiding inward desperation and suffering. The scene is marked with negativity but also a tough period filled with cruel reality. It is in this case that Dunbar uses the term ‘long mile’ to showcase the outwardly limitless struggle. I believe that the speaker stresses the essence of maintaining the disguise that they have been outwardly showing. Also, people have been inspired by the importance of remaining ignorant or rather avoiding showing their true feelings. Indeed, these efforts are directed towards fighting one’s struggles but avoiding revealing the same to people around you.
One Comment
Tenzin (Tsering)
we were supposed to do a summary???