'We Wear the Mask' Cold Read

According to the footnote, what does the word 'debt' in the first stanza of the poem symbolize?

• Financial obligation

• Moral responsibility

• An obligation or something one must do

• A personal loan

What does the footnote suggest about the phrase 'mouth with myriad subtleties'?

• It refers to the complexity of human emotions.

• It indicates the use of multiple languages.

• It refers to the many expectations for 'respectful' speech.

• It suggests a variety of facial expressions.

What does the word 'vile' mean as used in the poem 'We Wear the Mask'?

• Extremely pleasant and moral

• Difficult and challenging

• Extremely unpleasant, wicked or immoral

• Rare and valuable

Which of the following best describes a central theme of the text?

• Identity comes from what we do and are, not what we look like.

• Social pressure can turn independent people into just faces in a crowd.

• Being sad and upset by tragedy is okay, and people should not hide it away.

• Silence allows people to stay strong in difficult situations, even though it does have consequences.

Which of the following quotes best supports the idea of why people wear masks?

• "This debt we pay to human guile" (Line 3)

• "Why should the world be over-wise, / In counting all our tears and sighs?" (Lines 6-7)

• "O great Christ, our cries / To thee from tortured souls arise." (Lines 10-11)

• "We sing, but oh the clay is vile / Beneath our feet, and long the mile" (Lines 12-13)

Why must the people (the "we" mentioned) wear the mask?

• The people wear the mask to protect their faces and themselves.

• The people wear the mask because they are told to by the larger society.

• The people wear the mask to keep their identities a secret.

• The people wear the mask to hide their suffering.

The speaker says, "We sing, but oh, the clay is vile / Beneath our feet, and long the mile." (Lines 12-13) What is the most likely interpretation of these lines?

• The people dislike the journey, so they sing a happy song to make themselves feel better.

• The people's lives are difficult, but they pretend to feel joy when others can see.

• The people are on a gross and muddy road, but they still enjoy traveling together.

• The people have to travel a very long way, and the song helps them pass the time.