Discuss how poets use the technique of masking their personas in order to convey the message to the reader.

elements in the human condition. “The world would rather see hope than just hear / its song.” This quotation in the poem shows a characteristic of society where people have to see in order to believe. “And that’s why statesmen have to smile. / Their pearly whites mean they’re full of cheer.” The statesmen who signify the individuals in authority within our society smile as a presentation of visual evidence to show the existence of unquestionable hope. “The game’s complex, the goal’s far out of reach, / the outcome’s still unclear – once in a while, / we need a friendly, gleaming set of teeth.” This implies the fact that in reality, we are not achieving our goal. “A friendly, gleaming set of teeth”, which means a dazzling smile of a politician motivates the hope which is required by society in order not stop us from giving up our unachieved goals. In the poem ‘Smiles’, Szymborska conveys the message to the reader that people in power use false emotions in order to satisfy the people who contribute towards keeping them in power. It is implied throughout the poem that people are never satisfied by nature. “Our times are still not safe and sane enough / for faces to show ordinary sorrow.” This quote suggests that humans are sorrowful creatures by nature. Being dissatisfied and holding out for more in life are natural elements found in the human condition. Therefore people in authority, who come to power and maintain it thanks to the vote of the people, show false emotions in order to prevent society from feeling the jagged teeth of reality. It can be seen that the personas of the people in authority created by Szymborska has been masked. "Dreamers keep saying, 'Human brotherhood / will make this place a smiling paradise'. I am not convinced. The statesman in that case, / would not require facial exercise." This quotation is significant as it openly displays the masked persona of the statesman, and it can also be perceived that the masked character is addressed as a "Dreamer", therefore mocking it. In reality the persona of the statesman is full of sorrow as he understands the state of the world. But Szymborska has masked the persona of the statesman, so that he wears a positive expression, which deceives the rest of society. The words "Facial exercise" is said in a tone of sarcasm, therefore mocking the people who have masked personas. Therefore, it can be seen that the technique of masking used by Szymborska contributes significantly towards the conveying of the author’s message. The poem, ‘The woman With Whom I Share My Husband’ |pg36| written by Okot p’ Bitek, also uses the technique of masking the generated personas in order to convey the author’s message. The poem talks about Clementine, an African woman who tries to follow the ways of the western world in order to satisfy her husband. “Brother, when you see / Clementine! / The beautiful one aspires / To look like a white woman;”. This quotation clearly shows the masked persona of Clementine, in which she tries to act like a white woman. In the poem, Lawino, describes Clementine, giving us a negative image of Clementine. “She dusts the ash dirt all over / her face. / And when little sweat / Begins to appear on her body / She looks like the guinea fowl.” This description of Clementine given by Lawino, shows us that Lawino is mocking the masked persona of Clementine. Bitek, incorporates a negative tone to Clementine’s description in order to mock the people who mask their true identity. The persona of Clementine is significant as it represents the individuals of society who have masked personalities in order to deceive others.       When considering the poems, ‘Smiles’ by Szymborska and ‘The Woman With Whom I Share My husband” by Bitek, we can see that the technique of masking the personas generated by the authors is present in both poems. In the poem, ‘Smiles’, Szymborska, masks the personas, which represents figures of authority in society in order to convey the message that masks are used in order to deceive others. Bitek uses masked personas in order to convey a similar message in the poem, “The Woman With Whom I share My Husband”. The mockery of Clementine is indirectly focused towards the individuals in society who mask their true identities in order to satisfy others.