Poet
Paul Laurence Dunbar
American poet · 1872–1906
We Wear the MaskSympathy
Paul Laurence Dunbar, the son of formerly enslaved parents, became the first African American poet to reach a national audience. He published his first collection while working as an elevator operator in Dayton, Ohio, selling copies to his passengers.
"We Wear the Mask" and "Sympathy" — whose line "I know why the caged bird sings" later gave Maya Angelou her title — remain two of the most anthologized American poems. He died of tuberculosis at just 33.
10 poems by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Full text, free to read. Each poem records its source and display decision.
Sympathy
Paul Laurence Dunbar · 1899
I know what the caged bird feels, alas!When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass,
21 lines · lyric
We Wear the Mask
Paul Laurence Dunbar · 1895
We wear the mask that grins and lies,It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—This debt we pay to human guile;
15 lines · rondeau
- Common ThingsI like to hear of wealth and gold,…20 lines
- EncouragedBecause you love me I have much achieved,…4 lines
- EncouragementWHO dat knockin' at de do'?…56 lines
- Life's TragedyIt may be misery not to sing at all,…16 lines
- Little Brown BabyLittle brown baby wif spa'klin' eyes,…32 lines
- Merry AutumnIt's all a farce,—these tales they tell…40 lines
- My Little March GirlCome to the pane, draw the curtain apart,…24 lines
- Summer in the SouthThe Oriole sings in the greening grove…12 lines
- SympathyI know what the caged bird feels, alas!…21 lines
- We Wear the MaskWe wear the mask that grins and lies,…15 lines