We Wear the Mask Essay Example

The text asks about the presence of heavily connotative words, unusual meanings of words, repetition of words or phrases, and the need to look up certain words. It states that this poem is straightforward and lacks hidden meaning, but serves as a heartfelt expression of emotions by the poet.
5. The text inquires about the images used by the poet, their relation to each other, and if they form a unified pattern or motif throughout the poem. It also questions if there is a central controlling image. Ms. Laux effectively employs descriptive language to vividly transport readers into each job she describes, like "handing / sacks of deep fried burritos through / the sliding window, the hungry hands / grabbing back..." (5-8).

The speaker has a clear mental image and can even hear the sound of a paper bag crinkling. The poem uses a simile to describe the vegetable puree, comparing it to pudding being scooped onto plastic plates.

I appreciate her straightforward and detailed writing style. The poem does not have any symbols and the setting is important in understanding its meaning.

If so, why? The speaker detailed her experience working in various professions: fast food, as a maid, at a sanatorium, as a gas station attendant, in a donut shop, and lastly as a telemarketer. Among all these job roles, one might assume that the telemarketer job would be her favorite, given its office setting. However, towards the end of the poem, the speaker unveils the sadness that consumed her when the voice on the other end of the phone realized she was just another salesperson calling. She'd rather clean toilets than endure the feeling of

being unwanted. To effectively convey her emotions to the reader, she found it necessary to recount her past experiences.

The central idea of this poem is that one should find a job that brings them happiness. The role of metrics, such as rhyme and rhythm, is important in this poem. It is written in open form (free verse) and does not rhyme, but rhythm does play a part. Laux also uses commas before some words at the end of a line to emphasize them.

"The only job I didn't like, quit..." (1). "Before that it was fast food, all..." (4). 11. How important is the contribution of form, such as rhyme scheme and line arrangement? How does the form influence the overall effect of the poem? There is not a certain form followed in this poem. In an online posting, Dorianne Laux comments, "'I am compelled by poets who tell stories and find ways to make the telling sing. When I begin to write, the music seeped into the words and I found myself playing language like an instrument'" (Guest).