How does the poet use figurative language to develop the theme in “We Wear the Mask”?

The main theme of the poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar is that people often hide their true selves and their identity. More specifically, racism remains a problem that still forces African Americans to hide their pain and difficulties.

Explanation:

The most important use of figurative language is the mask itself, as a symbol of African Americans hiding their pain in a society that still discriminates againts them.

Furthermore, the line "We wear the mask that grins and lies" uses personification as the mask is provided of human behavior: it grins and lies.

The same figurative language is used here: "But let the world dream otherwise, We wear the masks," because the world as an inanimate object is incapable of dreaming.

A hyperbole is used in: "With torn and bleeding hearts we smile", as the bleeding hearts are an exaggeration.