Once Upon a Time

 

Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time, son,
they used to laugh with their hearts
and laugh with their eyes:
but now they only laugh with their teeth,
while their ice-block-cold eyes
search behind my shadow.

There was a time indeed
they used to shake hands with their hearts:
but that’s gone, son.
Now they shake hands without hearts
while their left hands search
my empty pockets.

‘Feel at home!’ ‘Come again’:

they say, and when I come
again and feel
at home, once, twice,
there will be no thrice-
for then I find doors shut on me.

So I have learned many things, son.
I have learned to wear many faces
like dresses – homeface,
officeface, streetface, hostface,
cocktailface, with all their conforming smiles
like a fixed portrait smile.

And I have learned too
to laugh with only my teeth
and shake hands without my heart.
I have also learned to say,’Goodbye’,
when I mean ‘Good-riddance’:
to say ‘Glad to meet you’,
without being glad; and to say ‘It’s been

nice talking to you’, after being bored.

But believe me, son.
I want to be what I used to be
when I was like you. I want
to unlearn all these muting things.
Most of all, I want to relearn
how to laugh, for my laugh in the mirror
shows only my teeth like a snake’s bare fangs!

So show me, son,
how to laugh; show me how
I used to laugh and smile
once upon a time when I was like you.

Gabriel Okara

Gabriel Imomotimi Okara was a Nigerian Poet and Novelist.  He was born in Bumoundi in Nigeria.  He is well known for his novel “The voice (1964), “The Dreamer, His Vision (2005).  In his works Okara expressed his African thoughts, folklore and imagery.  “The Call of the River Nun” won an award at the Nigerian Festival of Arts.  His poetry were being translated into several Languages.  Okara was very concerned with what happened when the ancient culture of Africa is faced with modern western culture as his poem “Once Upon A Time” in addition to his poetry and fiction Okara also wrote plays and feature for broadcastings.

Brief Note on the poem

Once upon a time is about the fake nature of relationship present in the modern world.  Everything is changed now.  The poet wants to bring the past into present.  It is a dialogue between the father and son.  The father remembers the way of life and behavior of the people in the past and he compares it with the modern people.  The father wants to forget his artificial personality and re learn to have a real personality.

Analysis of once upon a time

 Stanza 1

“Once upon a time, son,
they used to laugh with their hearts           

and laugh with their eyes:
but now they only laugh with their teeth”

The speaker in the first stanza says his son explaining the events of the past, how they used to laugh with genuine feeling with the honest expression from their hearts and eyes.  He goes to the past to recollect those beautiful life styles and interactions. But now the modern world, the laughter is more of a showing off teeth.  Their eyes have false expression.  They are searching for something other than the reality, honest and genuine feelings.  The difference between the past and present is clear.  The speaker prefers the innocent of the past.  There is a feeling which is very true in the past.  But now all changes.

Stanza 2

 “There was a time indeed
they used to shake hands with their hearts,
but that’s gone, son.
Now they shake hands without hearts”

 The cultural way of shaking hands has also transformed into a fake one. In the past shaking hands to greet a person has been done with a genuine feeling and expression.  But people of the modern world shake hands with the consideration to one’s social status and financial status.  People are not warm towards others.  People move with an intention.  They need something from everyone.

Stanza 3 

“Feel at home come again
They say and when I come” 

 In this stanza the poet expresses the people would invite us as if we are part of their life. If you are judged by status and position then their opinion might change. If you are not qualified, you will not be invited. This behavior continues for people are not natural and true. They are fickle minded and artificial as they changes in culture and nature.

 Stanza 4

 “So I have learned many things son”
I have learned to wear many faces
Like dresses, home faces – host faces”

 It is a valuable stanza which gives a realization. This describes how the changes could bring about. The speaker has to change a lot.  He is getting ready to change himself. He is trying to face the artificial world. He would like take the challenge of facing the world with smile.

 Stanza 5

 “And I have learned too
To laugh with only my teeth
And shakes hands without my heart”

 He change his way of life. He adopts the faithless handshake and false smile. Now he knows to deceive people with his false behaviors.  Finally he says that he has become a part of the new culture. It learns all the new life styles from the modern culture.  Though it is new he learns all as he knows he cannot survive in the modern world with old culture.

 Stanza 6

  “But believe me son,
I want to what I used to be”

 Now the speaker expresses his dissatisfaction.  He wants to be natural. He likes his former innocence. He does not need this new life style which is full of lies and false pretense. He wants to smile again. He refers snake, his teeth hold something toxic, even dangerous.

 Stanza 7

 “So show me son
How to laugh”

He makes a request his son to show him how to get back his lost innocence. He wants to laugh and smile like in old days. He wants his old culture where everyone is honest and genuine. It is his pure identity. It gives his life back. He wants his life back.

                                                             Literary Devices

 Alliteration 

Two or more words close together in a line begin with the same consonant. It creates different sound effect.

Ex: hands without
       Hearts these
      Muting things.
      So
      Show me.
      Son…when I was

 Assonance

Two or more words close together in a line and have similar vowels.

Upon a time
Son …like
A fixed portrait

 Enjambment                    

A line runs into next with no stop keeping the sense.
And I have learned too
To laugh with only my teeth.

 Simile 

Comparing to different thing using “like”, “as”

I have learned to wear

Many faces/like dresses

Like a snake bare

Fangs.

 Tone

Pain, agony but little ironic. The speaker wishes to get back his genuine smile again.

It is a free verse poem. The entire expression of the father focuses on the incoming western culture which affects the native way of life

 Themes

Changes in society. Cultural shift values of capitalism                

               A great message to the society well brought out by the poet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Thank you