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.
The world being “over-wise” is a metaphor for society having too much say in the well-being or choices of the narrator. This is a quote of liberation that still acknowledges that the narrator is influenced by the standards of the “overly-wise world.”
We Wear the Mask