USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, Line 3 tells us that the people wearing these masks owe it all to “human guile.” Fancy word check: “guile” simply means a sort of deceitfulness, not being real.

Detailed explanation-2: -The mask, which represents the false emotions a person might “wear” in front of other people, both smiles and lies-which indicates that the outward appearance of the mask does not match the true emotions that are beneath it. In other words, the people who wear this mask aren’t smiling, and aren’t happy.

Detailed explanation-3: -In the poem the mask represents the permanence of the past in the present. This representation is achieved through Senghor’s choice to elevate the mask outside of a particular time.

Detailed explanation-4: -The literary devices used in We Wear the Mask are juxtaposition, repetition of consonant sounds, extended metaphor, and personification.