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Quote by Paul Laurence Dunbar

“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 otherwise, In counting all our tears and sighs? Nay, let them only see thus, 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!”

Quote by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Work

Selected poems

This book compiles a selection of poems that showcase the depth and diversity of the author's poetic voice, exploring a range of subjects and employing different literary techniques. more

Author

Paul Laurence Dunbar
Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar was an American poet, born on June 27, 1872, and died on February 9, 1906. He is one of the most celebrated black poets in American literary history, known for his poetry and short stories. more

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