Well-Educated Mind Poetry Reading List discussion

Obviously, this poem addresses the time period (last 1800s) when African Americans had to live with racism in post-Civil War America. Dunbar uses "we" to refer to the group. They wear a mask because they can, and the mask enables them to lie about how they really feel about their circumstances. Their hearts are broken, but still they continue to smile, so as not to reveal true emotions. Society would not even recognize the suffering.

But they cry out to God behind "tortured souls." They sing, but the injustice is disgusting and there is no end in sight. So society will keep ignoring the truth, and they will continue to wear the lying mask.