The poem consists of nine stanzas, each with a different rhyme scheme and meter. Using rhymes such as “with grisly fear;” and “ventured near;” as well as “the furnace roar;” and “‘Please close that door.” readers are left feeling uncertain (Service). The author uses this variety to create a sense of unpredictability, as the reader never knows what structure the next stanza will take. Additionally, the poem’s narrative structure, which follows the speaker’s journey with Sam McGee’s body, creates a sense of tension as the speaker struggles to fulfill his promise to his friend.
I fabricated this poem of choppy verses and straightforward ideas yet maintaining depth throughout, something the author has mastered. For example, I include rather simple words like “sticky, muddy, webbed,”
This poem uses alliteration,imagery,figurative language,assonance,rhyme and rhythm to capture you all the way to the
This particular poem is about parents that have no idea what's going on in their kid's daily life and what they go through. With this type of action, the parents act as if all is good and make little to no effort to get involved in their day to day activities. This shows the kid that the parent does not care or seems like it. The kid will be influenced to do things they normally wouldn't do. If the parent would at least make an attempt to get involved, it may influence them for the better but until then it will not happen.
For instance, the following lines underscore the limitations of human understanding: "We cannot tell what comes or what may go, / We cannot say why joy or sorrow flows. " This tone creates a sense of existential pondering that permeates the poem. Moreover, Dunbar's utilization of alternative interpretations adds depth to the poem's meaning. The poem can be read as a reflection on the limitations of human knowledge and the inherent mysteries of existence.
Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem, "We Wear the Mask," delivers a poignant message in fifteen brief lines. On one hand, the poem pays tribute to the historical struggles of African-Americans. Specifically, Dunbar explores the thought that many African-Americans disguised their true feelings during the racially tumultuous period between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. His moving words suggest that the African-American community of this time often wore "the mask that grins and lies" to avoid drawing unwanted attention to themselves.
The reason I chose this poem was because, it reminds me of myself. As a young kid, I had troubles learning how to read. At one point, I had to personally go to a different classroom where the teacher would have a one-on-one with me. I relate with the character in many ways, for one, my parents do not speak fluent English meaning, they were not able to help me learn on how to read in English. I had to strongly rely on my teachers for their help, or else, I wouldn’t have been able to read text from a book or a passage.
Such personification mirrors Dunbar’s use of figurative language, which relates the poems in more ways than one. Dunbar touches on human features such as cheeks and eyes in his poem but also uses a spiritual element to advance his point of view. Furthermore, “We Wear the Mask” was written in 1896; a period in American history that was post-slavery but still had widespread discrimination. The spiritual connotation within Dunbar’s poem can allude to African American churches and/or the hymns slaves sung on plantations. Nevertheless, the struggle of African Americans is a symbol of both presented
Imagery and tone plays a huge role for the author in this poem. It’s in every stanza and line in this poem. The tone is very passionate, joyful and tranquil.
“When Malindy Sings” and “We Wear the Mask” are two popular poems written by Dunbar. Each touch on difficulties he and other African Americans face every day. However, “When Malindy Sings” is written in dialect, while “We Wear the Mask” is not. When looking at each poem, “We Wear the Mask” has to hide the true meaning of the poem beneath beautiful word play and descriptive word play. This important to note because only the African American community would understand the true underlying message of false contentment.
Regardless of this, the poem is famous for its unique rhythm and meter of poem. The poem flows very smoothly but does not have a specific poetic foot. Consonances were used to help the rhyme scheme sound more pleasing to readers. The poets diction was exclusive and out of the ordinary.
The poem I chose to analyze is We Wear the Mask, written by Paul Lawrence Dunbar in 1896. Its theme is about hiding our true feelings and emotions, and lying about who we are. When looking at Dunbar’s life history, and the political context at the time, we understand that he efficiently uses this theme in order to talk about how black people have to hide how they feel about their social status and the treatment they receive from white people. He conveys the theme to the audience thanks to a clever word choice. Indeed, he talks about “grin” and “smile”, using facial expressions as a description of the mask (Dunbar, lines 1 & 4).
Most of the words used in the poem were chosen very carefully and meticulously to make the reader feel some type of way. I also felt that once I actually understood what was being said in the poem it felt more alluring and did actually make me feel some type of way. For example, words such as pleasant, moss, lonely, gray forevermore, murmur, and calm. Next is the flow of the overall poems. If you read the poems you can tell that both
Ted Bundy is another famous sociopath. He was executed in 1989, but before his execution he admitted to killing at least 30 young women. “From birth Bundy was already in a category in which the FBI survey found 43 percent of sexual and serial killers: he had only one parent” (twisted minds). His early years were a little complicated because he kept changing his story. His mother left him in behind after he was born and he fell in love with a woman who left him as well.
It has an iambic metre and the rhyme scheme is a cross rhyme throughout the poem. The first stanza offers a good insight into the theme of the poem. It is built up on statements which contradict each other. '[Thick] ' (l. 1) and '[thin] (l. 2), for example, are attributes used to illustrate love in comparison to forgetfulness. However, as
