The two contradictory emotions create a juxtaposition, similar to that of the previous work. However, what may be less obvious is that, unlike previous work, We Wear the Mask references the past by shedding light on a past historical period. Biblical references gave hope in the lives of enslaved slaves in the present moment. In the first case, the speaker lamented the use of the mask by the slaves and expressed optimism about the future use of the mask. This was how the past was incorporated into poetry; we have not maneuvered through history but simply through thought. The present (first and second verse) is the door to the future, creating the duality of emotions. In contrast, within the latter poem, the speaker recognizes the tension of the (pre-war) present and uses biblical stories from a past period to form a gateway into the future, in which "Moses" (pp 912-914 ) renounces them from the slavery of