In this poem Cullen questions the marvels about the relationship between God and humanity. He begins by clearly asserting his belief in God's will to portray his unfaltering faith. Although he does not understand God's reasons for creating hardship in the world, he does not doubt Him. He wonders why moles, which already live in darkness underground, are also blind. He questions the fact that humans share a similar appearance to God, yet they are mortal and must die. He uses allusions to Greek mythology to question destiny. Both Tantalus and Sisyphus were punished eternally by the gods. Tantalus stood in a pool of water under a fruit tree, which receded before he could reach them, and Sisyphus had to repeat pushing a boulder up a hill after it rolled down again. However, Cullen believes that God's word is inscrutable and people are not able to understand Him. He is confused by fate, but he knows that God has His own reasons.
Cullen laces irony in his poem to emphasize his point about fate. He states that he has faith in God, which he then questions. It is ironic that he later again says God is almighty. Each of his questions is a comparison for the oppression of African Americans during the time period. They are segregated in society, like moles that live alone in the dirt, and people think lowly of them. They face discrimination, despite the fact that all humans are created equally by God and die. Similar to Tantalus and Sisyphus, it seems like blacks forever struggle with unjust punishment because of the color of their skin. He calls fate awful because of the evil God released in the world. The last two lines of the poem display irony with his most important inquiry about God. He is a black poet who has suffered from racism, yet God is kind because he is fortunate for his poetic abilities.
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