Question

Read the excerpt from "We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar.

(1) Why should the world be over-wise,
(2) In counting all our tears and sighs?
(3) Nay, let them only see us, while
(4) We wear the mask.

How does the use of caesura in line 3 help develop the meaning of the excerpt?

It supports the speaker’s decision to embrace individuality and present his true self to society.
It emphasizes the speaker’s opinion that society’s judgments are important.
It reveals the speaker’s disappointment over how society judges others’ lives.
It shows the speaker’s rejection of the idea that society should have access to private emotions.

Answer 1

Correct answer: It shows the speaker’s rejection of the idea that society should have access to private emotions.

Explanation: The caesura (the pause after "us,") separates the public face from what follows, stressing that others are permitted only the outward view. The break underscores deliberate concealment—the speaker insists that people should see only the mask, not the private tears and sighs—so it emphasizes refusal to expose inner feelings.