I believe this to be a hyperbole.
Play (a stringed instrument or music) using a bow. [from google]
I believe the correct answer is A. by describing how people attempt to hide their pain by pretending to be happy.
The poet's characters have to put on a mask to deceive others about how they truly feel - in their everyday lives, they have to appear happy and as if nothing is wrong, when in fact they feel miserable. They have to pretend they are something they are not, which is why their mask is constantly on when they are surrounded by other people.
