Read the poem below and answer questions 26 to 30.
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile
And mouths with myriad subtleties,
Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.
We smile but O great god, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet and long the mile,
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!
The dominant mood is one of
-
sadness
- fear
- joy
- optimism
The correct answer is: A
Explanation
The poem expresses the deep sorrow and pain hidden behind a facade of smiles and happiness. The imagery of "torn and bleeding hearts," "tortured souls," and the "vile" clay beneath their feet conveys a sense of sadness and suffering.