📖 Part 1: "We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Read the poem below, then answer the questions that follow.

We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be over-wise
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

🎭 Part 2: "Sympathy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Read this excerpt and answer the questions below.

I know what the caged bird feels, alas!
When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;
When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass,
And the river flows like a stream of glass;

When the first bird sings and the first bud opes,
And the faint perfume from its chalice steals—
I know what the caged bird feels!

✨ Part 3: Analysis Reflection

Line: ________________________________________________

📋 Answer Key (Teacher Reference)

1. Metaphor - The heart isn't literally torn and bleeding; it's a metaphor for emotional pain.

2. A refrain that emphasizes the main theme - The repetition reinforces the central idea of hiding one's true self.

3. Sample answer: The tone is sad, bitter, or melancholy. Evidence includes "torn and bleeding hearts," "tears and sighs," and the idea of hiding pain behind a false smile.

4. Sample answer: The mask symbolizes the false face people put on to hide their true emotions, particularly pain or suffering, from the world.

5. Sample answer: The short, tight lines mirror the constraint the speaker feels. The rhyme scheme creates a musical quality that contrasts with the serious subject matter.

6. Simile - Uses "like" to compare the river to glass.

7. Sample answer: The caged bird symbolizes someone who is trapped or oppressed, longing for freedom while watching others enjoy liberty.

8. Sample answer: The repetition emphasizes the speaker's deep understanding and empathy for those who are trapped or oppressed.

9. Sample answer: Both poems explore themes of hidden suffering and the contrast between outward appearance and inner reality. They share a message about the pain of concealing one's true feelings or situation.

10-11. Answers will vary - look for student understanding of figurative language and personal connections to themes.