Answer:
Step-by-step explanation:
The poem "We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar is a critique on societal pressures and expectations that force us to conceal our true selves. The mask is an allegory for hiding one’s true identity or concealing it from society ¹². The mask symbolizes the false fronts that some people feel they must wear in order to be accepted by society ³. The poet suggests that people wear masks to conceal their real emotions and feelings, and that this is a way of hiding one's true identity or concealing it from society ¹².
In the poem, the poet writes:
> 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.
This passage suggests that people wear masks to hide their true emotions and feelings from others. They do this because they feel that they must conform to societal expectations in order to be accepted by others ¹.
I hope this helps answer your questions!