Once upon a time by Gabriel Okara

Once Upon a Time by Gabriel Okara
Summary
Symbol

1. ‘Once upon a time’ By Gabriel Okara Prepare by Mehul Dodiya

2. Gabriel Okara Gabriel is a Nigerian Writer. He was born in Nigeria, in 1921. Okara may be describe as highly original and uninfluenced by other poets. He has been extremely successful in capturing the moods, sight and sound of Africa. His poems shows great sensitivity, perceptive judgment and a tremendous energy. Okara also shows a concern regarding what happens when ancient culture of Africa is faced with modern western culture.

3. Once Upon a time….. First Person Narrative Written in Free verse Un-poetic The structure of the poem makes it seem like he’s actually talking to his child. Fairy Tale Dialogue

4. Symbolism The heart symbol of Genuine emotions and the eyes the conveyor of the same. The eyes are devoid of emotion and phrased as ‘ice-block’. They appear without the slightest trace of warmth and humanity. There was a time when their very greeting was heart-felt.

5. The Right Hand is the metaphor for the projected intention, left hand for the intended intention. The left hand gropes in the empty pocket of the speaker. Niceties like ‘Feel at home!’ and ‘Come again’ are reiterated just for the sake of formalities. The speaker has now learned to conform to this sophisticated world driven by calculation and manipulation. He talk about of many faces that are nothing but metaphors of masks and disguises designed to suit specific needs and situations.

6. I have learned to wear many faces like dresses-home face. Office face, street face, host face, cocktail face with all their conforming smiles Like a fixed portrait smile. The portrait smile is a symbolic act of something that is not felt, but done purely for the sake of it.

7. 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. ‘Goodbye’ is an expression that originated from the blessing ‘God be with you’. It’s meaning has deteriorated to ‘Good-riddance’. He wants to unlearn all the muting things of sophistication. He wants relearn to smile as now the poison is becoming more obvious with the fangs showing. The showing of the fangs emblematizes how the people were transforming from their seeming disguise to shameless display of iniquity. The symbol of the snake also points to the first sin of man.

8. Analysis of the poem The poem is a conversation between a father and his son where the son does things with emotion and the father wants to forget his fake personality and re-learn and create real personalities form his son. He is asking the son to show him how to express true love and show real personality to others.

9. In the first stanza the author mentions that people used to laugh with their heart they used to laugh with their emotions, when they would laugh they would do it whole heartedly and with warmth and they used to laugh with their eyes and show pleasure with them, and know they do it with only their teeth not with their heart. ‘Ice-block-cold eyes’ is used these words emphasize the coldness and the inner hatred they have for you like they can freeze water with their gaza . These also make the poem feel a bit dark and cold and a slight bit sinister.

10. Second stanza, he further talks about the personalities of the people of the past he says ‘they used to shake with their hearts’ here he is trying to say that when you would meet each other you will shake their hands with pleasure and with warmth and do it willingly. ‘While their left hands search my empty pockets’ from this we can see that they are trying to use him from him. This also shows that the people’s personalities are not real and true.

11. In the third stanza he is talking about when people ask you to come again and say ‘feel at home’ you go there once, twice and the third time they will not let you in thinking that you are a pest and that they do not wanted to see you anymore. This also shows that when people speak they lie not telling the truth but just saying something nice to grasp their heart.

12. The fourth stanza he talk about how he has learned to put on faces like how outfits and masks are put on at different times, and with different people you act differently. He says ‘I have learned too’ which is suggesting that he has also changed with the change of the people around him.

13. ‘to laugh with only teeth’ He says ‘I have learned to say ‘goodbye’ when I mean ‘Good-riddance’ that is pointing out to the fact that they will, without thinking and without meaning. “that Glad to meet you’, meaning they did not wanted to talk to you and they disliked your presence. He points out that he really wants to learn how to laugh with emotions likes you(Child) really mean it and he compares his laugh like that of a snake’s fangs that shows only the teeth .

14. This stanza sums it well by giving the image to the reader that he is not happy and satisfied with himself. The last stanza is the farther asking and pleading to his son to show him how to laugh and smile like he did when he was a child.

15. Thank you so much