Figurative Language In Paul Dunbar's They Wear The Mask

In Paul Dunbar’s We Wear The Mask he describes a social dissembling in the world. In this poem, we are introduced to the real mask being all of the lies and deceit. Which are racial issues? Dunbar’s use of metaphors, imagery, and rhyme gives the reader a better understanding. Also, the writer's use of figurative language brings this poem alive and offers the audience clarification.
The poem opens with a metaphor, “We wear the mask that grins and lies.” Dunbar is comparing his smiles to all the surrounding lies. He is ashamed to the fact that he hides who he really is and simply puts a smile on his face to hide. Because the mask that “grins and lies’ is hiding unbearable misery and suffering. The reader can picture the mask hiding someone's features, this creates imagery. In line three the world guile is rhymed with a smile out of the following line. The writer mentions a torn and bleeding heart. In which this is figurative language that helps prove a point. In many cases, rhyming sounds familiar but not exactly the same. Therefore, in line five, the word subtleties rhyme with the first two lines.

The next stanza is a quatrain.

The first line indicates that “the world” does not need to worry about the true sufferings and feelings but recognized them while they wear their mask. This creates the illusion that is beyond the dissembling of society but the sake of dishonesty and duplicity. Following this line is rhyme once again over wise and sighs. From the opening stanza of the poem, it presents a speaker who then one speaks in first person plural. The poem as a very indirect tone towards the audience. In this stanza, the writer also begins to develop a character. The characters being between us and them are becoming more developed. The term “we wear the mask” is not only the title of the poem but it is repeated throughout the stanzas three

times.
The last stanza of this poem opens with the statement’ “we smile, but, o great Christ our cries.” In which cries and arise in the following line rhymes. Furthermore, it indicates yes they smile but behind them are their cries. Which plays a big part in the theme of lies and deceits. No One is being honest so the pain they feel is real. The souls arise is creating imagery. While tortured souls is another example of figurative language. The tortured souls represent all of the of the lost people that are hiding behind the masks. “We sing”, is creating another form of language because we can hear singing. “And long the mile”, represent the journey the people must go. In the second to last line, we are told to let the world dream which is personification. Dreaming is a human characteristic that world can't do.
In We Wear The Mask it's the world pretending and truth that lies behind it all. This poem created a very objective point of view.