We Wear the Mask
Paul Laurence Dunbar
1872 to 1906
Track 1
Reconstruct the poem by dragging each line into its correct position. Your goal is to reassemble the original poem as accurately as possible. As you move the lines, you'll see whether your arrangement is correct, helping you explore the poem's flow and meaning. You can also print out the jumbled poem to cut up and reassemble in the classroom. Either way, take your time, enjoy the process, and discover how the poet's words come together to create something truly beautiful.
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Nay, let them only see us, while
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
This debt we pay to human guile;
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
To thee from tortured souls arise.
Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
But let the world dream otherwise,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.
We wear the mask.
We wear the mask!
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,