Prayer to the Masks

“Prayer to the Masks” doesn’t adhere to a strict formal constraint or rhyme scheme, but still achieves a distinct cadence through line breaks and punctuation. Senghor often breaks the end of sentences onto the next line. Periods connect lines and streams of thought, and at times give the appearance of couplets (two-line stanzas): “You guard this place, that is closed to any feminine laughter, to any / mortal smile. You purify the air of eternity, here where I breathe the air of my / fathers.” (Lines 6-9). Despite the poem being composed in a single stanza, the line breaks and punctuation allow sections to feel distinct and rhythmic. Long lines contrast with short ones—sometimes only one or two words—encouraging moments of pause and reflection while progressing through the poem.

Exclamation points, question marks, and alliteration also contribute to the poem’s mood and flow. In the first half of the poem, Senghor enhances multiple lines (Lines 1, 4, and 13) with exclamation points for dramatic effect, giving the narrator’s prayer urgency and desperation. The exclamation points lengthen the duration of these lines, keeping shorter sentences from becoming lost or glossed over. In the second half of the poem, question marks appear regularly (Lines 24, 26, 28 respectively). The questions are directed toward the masks to which the narrator prays, and Senghor may be addressing the reader too, putting questions into their head. The question marks, like the exclamation points, create pauses and encourage deeper consideration of the lines. Additionally, while Senghor composes the poem in complete sentences, alliteration gives the words a poetic feel. Wording like “Masks of maskless faces” (Line 10) and “pitiable princess” (Line 15) are sonically creative and engaging, another example of Senghor’s poetic craftsmanship.