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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Why should the world be over-wise,
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
This debt we pay to human guile;
We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
Nay, let them only see us, while
To thee from tortured souls arise.
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
We wear the mask.
We wear the mask!
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
But let the world dream otherwise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
And mouth with myriad subtleties.
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