Explanation:
Popularity: Dunbar’s poem “We Wear the Mask” is a lyrical poem about the lives of African Americans after the Civil War. The poet explains how the people had to pretend that everything is better and the mental torture they went through. It was first published in 1896 in Lyrics of Lowly Life. The popularity of the poem lies in the fact that it reflects the miserable plight of African Americans forced to hide their painful realities and frustrations under the mask of happiness and contentment. This poem won national recognition for Dunbar as the first African American poet.
Art of Masking as a Surviving Tool: The poet gives expression to his opinion about the discrimination faced by African Americans. During the Civil War, they lived in a shared environment with unemotional and cold people. To survive, they had to bury their sufferings, miseries, and pain at the bottom of their hearts. The toxic and shared environment never allowed them to open their hearts without resultant agony and distress. The speaker suggests that we should not allow people to know our sufferings. Instead, we should let them believe in our masked faces. According to him, African Americans were paying a heavy price for using this strategy. Although they are heart-broken, yet they exhibit gladness. Behind faulty smiles of the mask lies their plea to Christ. They sing their song to Christ because they know that God sees them.
Major Themes: The major themes of the poem include racism, appearance versus reality, lying, and deceit. The poet illustrates the effect of suffering endured by black people due to their race. They are compelled to learn the art of fake happiness. Not only did this art saves them from racial discrimination but it also enables them to keep their real pain hidden from the world. The universal subject can easily grab the reader’s attention, equally inspiring the African Americans and other races.
