The source from which I drew this poem attributes Dunbar's sorrow expressed here to the hardship undergone by African Americans living in the late 19th century. However, the sorrow expressed is universal. We all can read and understand it because we all have experienced it. It seems that wherever you go, people sorrow, whether it's 19th century African Americans or 21st century yuppies or ancient Jewish kings. Regardless of a person's environment, he suffers. African Americans from the last century, King David, 21st century yuppies--we all experience acute pain.
Why?
We Wear the Mask
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 overwise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.
We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!
I wonder what this life would be like without the curse of sin. It's our source of all pain and misery. Think, even the joy we experience is a cursed sort of joy.
Posted by: apple at March 6, 2004 10:08 AMYeah. The problem is that it's every one else's sin that bugs me. I detest sin--mainly when it affects me negatively. I'm not sure if I'm on an assasination campaign with my sin or in a torrid love affair.
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