The Mask Poem Literary Devices

“The Mask” Analysis Paper The definition of hiding is that act of concealing. People may be hiding something or from something. In the depressed and glum poem, “The Mask”, the author shows that her life isn’t as it seems to other people. This message is conveyed through the use of imagery, simile, metaphors and repetition. Imagery is put into use by the author describing that “The tears start to stream” when she takes “The Mask” off. This shows how people may see her happy all the time and never even bother to question if she’s really happy. The girl then “Plasters on a smile” for the next day of school. She begins to go on with life as if nothing happened. She goes to school and starts the same life over again. Similes and metaphors are
used to say “She is strong like a tall mountain” in class and is outgoing in everything she does. She may be tall and strong, but behind “The Mask” is an itty-bitty person. The real person is hiding behind “The Mask”. The girl gets home and the real person finally steps in. She keeps on thinking “Her mind is a tornado...Her mind is poison…Her mind is a prison”. These negative thoughts hurt her and bring her down. For example, when the author explains “Her mind is a tornado” it’s portraying that the girl is pushing all the good things in life and only looking at the negative things. She hides her feelings with her classmates and conceals her negative thoughts to others. Repetition is used to by saying “Her mind...Her mind...Her mind” to show the many things the girl is hiding from people. People say that girls are more emotional than guys and that may be true. The paper being written in a girl’s perspective is more meaningful because all guys have no emotion, right? The author use the word, “Her” to make the audience understand it’s a girl going through all this pain and suffering. The author of “The Mask” shows that her life isn’t as it seems. Her life is behind a “mask” and the way people see her is not her true identity. People in the world may be facing the same life as the one of the girl. In the end, the question comes into mind, “Do you have a ‘mask’ too?”