An Audio Guide to Poetry Recitation - 5. "We Wear the Mask"

Audio Download Link:
http://cdn.wenxuecity.com/upload/media/28/f7/c4/dfd85c0e01559BdukAoW.mp3

Earlier Audio Files Download Links:
http://cdn.wenxuecity.com/upload/media/da/23/fd/7d0657268055vqLvCz53.mp3
http://cdn.wenxuecity.com/upload/media/e3/43/7e/07f8bc5a8294H4TrvoV4.mp3
http://cdn.wenxuecity.com/upload/media/a5/30/6e/98a8651b0723BgNRVoZs.mp3
http://cdn.wenxuecity.com/upload/media/f5/85/58/991d2fa19093wfNGClp6.mp3

Now Rita Dove recites We Wear the Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar.

We Wear the Mask
by Paul Laurence Dunbar
[Read by Rita Dove]

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 over-wise,
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!