{"id":68,"date":"2015-08-25T03:42:37","date_gmt":"2015-08-25T03:42:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/teaching.lfhanley.net\/eng528f15\/?page_id=68"},"modified":"2015-08-25T03:42:37","modified_gmt":"2015-08-25T03:42:37","slug":"paul-laurence-dunbar","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/teaching.lfhanley.net\/eng528fa16\/texts\/paul-laurence-dunbar\/","title":{"rendered":"Paul Laurence Dunbar"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/a>
“We Wear the Mask” (1906)<\/h5>\n

WE wear the mask that grins and lies,
\nIt hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,\u2014
\nThis debt we pay to human guile;
\nWith torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
\nAnd mouth with myriad subtleties.<\/p>\n

Why should the world be over-wise,
\nIn counting all our tears and sighs?
\nNay, let them only see us, while
\nWe wear the mask!<\/p>\n

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
\nTo thee from tortured souls arise.
\nWe sing, but oh the clay is vile
\nBeneath our feet, and long the mile;
\nBut let the world dream otherwise,
\nWe wear the mask!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“We Wear the Mask” (1906) WE wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,\u2014 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<\/p>\n