We Wear The Mask The central element of Paul Lawrence Dunbar’s poem, we wear the mask, is the very words of the title. He repeats them in every stanza and they are a pivotal element that influences a reader’s text selection for interpretation. These words alone indicate something being hidden or cast aside for a different appearance and they compel the reader to find out about just what it is the author is …showed first 75 words of 715 total…

…showed last 75 words of 715 total…having heard of its famous American poet. His name appears in many places: like the library at Wright State University; several schools and a street to name a few. It was not the words of the poem that spoke to me, but the idea that a man form my hometown could write his thoughts and feelings down on paper and become famous for ding so. I wonder if this could happen one day for me?