We Wear the Mask, written in 1886 by Paul Lawrence Dunbar, is a ubiquitous poem that has a copious amount of interpretations; however, one of the most popular interpretations of the poem is that of Paul Dunbar's background. Paul Dunbar was an African American who grew up during the time of slavery; as a result, We Wear the Mask is meant to be written as an exemplification of the grievances faced by African Americans during the time of slavery. Although We Wear the Mask was written over a century ago and for a reason – the lives of African Americans, during the time of slavery – it can be applied to numerous social situations faced in our society today; one of these is domestic abuse, or being treated with cruelty or violence by a spouse or family member who is supposed to protect him or her from the evils of the world. We Wear the Mask illustrates how humans wear masks to protect horrible emotions or situations that are experienced to be perceived as flawless and protect loved ones and ourselves from terrible truths; poetry also talks about feelings...