Why is a semicolon required in the following sentence? The waves rippled across the ocean; sunlight dappled the water and the sand.

to link items that appear in a list
to separate a dependent clause from an independent clause
to join independent clauses
to link parts of a compound adjective {idk the answer}

The third one, to join independent clauses

Explanation:

the answer is:  

he is voicing feelings shared by all humans regardless of race.

in paul laurence dunbar's poem "we wear the mask," he replicates the words mask and we to emphasize how people in general -not just black americans- hide their true feelings. he suggests the masks cover people's faces and eyes, which are the main parts that display their emotions. he also thinks people's pain conceal behind those masks, so that they cannot see reality and nobody is able to see one another's sorrow.