WE WEAR THE MASK

Paul Laurence Dunbar

OBJECTIVES:Students will be able to:

• analyze poetry by completing the SIFT graphic organizer.• use the SIFT graphic organizer to

generate ideas for literary analysis writing.• compose one paragraph focusing on

a single literary device for a literary analysis essay.

LET’S DECIDE

When we view the next several images,

let’s decide:• the person’s gender, age, ethnicity.• the kind of person you think he or she is.• what he or she might sound like.• what he or she might talk about.

Gender? Age? Ethnicity? What kind of person is he or she? What does he or she sound like or talk about?

Gender? Age? Ethnicity? What kind of person is he or she? What does he or she sound like or talk about?

Gender? Age? Ethnicity? What kind of person is he or she? What does he or she sound like or talk about?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The son of former slaves, Paul Laurence Dunbar

(1872-1906) was the first African American writer to

earn his living solely by writing poetry and fiction.

He was also the first to gain a national audience of

mostly white reader.

WE WEAR THE MASKWe wear the mask that grins and lies, We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries

It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes – To thee from

tortured souls arise.

This debt we pay to human guile; We sing, but oh the clay is vile

With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, Beneath our feet, and long the mile;

And mouth with myriad subtleties. But let the world dream other-wise,

We wear the mask.

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.

QUICK WRITE

What is one mask you

wear in your daily life?

Why do you wear it?

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY WORDS TO OWN

Symbols: anything (object, animal, event, person, or place)

that represents itself but also stands for something else on a

figurative level

Images: word pictures that appeal to the reader’s senses –

sight, sound, smell, taste, touch

Figures of Speech: imaginative language not meant to be

taken literally (similes, metaphors, personification)

Theme: The central meaning or message of the text

RE-READ AND TEXT-MARK

Symbols: Place a circle around any words or

phrases that are symbols

Images: Underline any images which appeal to

the senses (sight, taste, sound, touch, smell)

Figures of Speech: highlight any figures or

speech (similes, metaphors, personification)

ALL WRITE ROUND ROBIN

Starting with number 1 in your group, share and

explain what you circled for symbols. Move

clockwise in your group until all members have

shared what you text-marked for SYMBOLS.

REMEMBER: As your team members share their

text-markings and annotations, be sure to update

your own text-markings.

WE WEAR THE MASKWe wear the mask that grins and lies, We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries

It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes – To thee from

tortured souls arise.

This debt we pay to human guile; We sing, but oh the clay is vile

With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, Beneath our feet, and long the mile;

And mouth with myriad subtleties. But let the world dream other-wise,

We wear the mask.

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.

ALL WRITE ROUND ROBIN

Starting with number 1 in your group, share and

explain what you underlined for images. Move

clockwise in your group until all members have

shared what you text-marked for IMAGES.

REMEMBER: As your team members share their

text-markings and annotations, be sure to update

your own text-markings.

WE WEAR THE MASKWe wear the mask that grins and lies, We smile, but, O great

Christ, our cries

It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes – To thee from tortured souls arise.

This debt we pay to human guile; We sing, but oh the clay is vile

With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, Beneath our feet, and long

the mile;

And mouth with myriad subtleties. But let the world dream other-wise,

We wear the mask.

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.

ALL WRITE ROUND ROBIN

Starting with number 1 in your group, share and explain

what you highlighted for figures of speech. Move

clockwise in your group until all members have shared

what you text-marked for FIGURES OF SPEECH.

REMEMBER: As your team members share their text-

markings and annotations, be sure to update your own

text-markings.

WE WEAR THE MASKWe wear the mask that grins and lies, We smile, but, O great Christ,. our cries

It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes – To thee from

tortured souls arise

This debt we pay to human guile; We sing, but oh the clay is vile

With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, Beneath our feet, and long the mile;

And mouth with myriad subtleties. But let the world dream other-wise,

We wear the mask.

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.

THEME

THINK ABOUT SOME IMPORTANT

LESSONS YOU’VE LEARNED FROM

NOVELS, STORIES, OR POEMS THAT

YOU’VE READ IN THE PAST.

WHAT LESSON(S) ABOUT LIFE MIGHT THE

POET BE REVEALING TO HIS AUDIENCE?

(2 minutes)

SIFT GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

WRITING AN ANALYSIS PARAGRAPH

In the poem the poet, uses to convey

the message . His first use of is evident in line

when he says, “ .” This means that ,,and it

contributes to the theme because .Another

example of is in line

when he uses the word(s) . By this he means . This

also contributes to his message because . Not only

does the poet effectively use to convey the idea that

,but he also uses to reveal the theme that .