Once Upon a Time english poem[Autosaved].pptx

english poem

1. Once Upon a Time - Gabriel Okara

2. Introduction Gabriel Okara was the first Modernist poet of Africa. In his works, he portrayed African thoughts, religion, folklore, and imagery. ‘Once Upon a Time’ is one among his famous poems. In this poem, Okara’s poetic persona is concerned with the ancient culture of Africa. The crisis on indigenous culture due to the impact of Western culture is portrayed in this poem.

3. Introduction This poem begins with a series of three images: greeting someone, welcoming them to their house, and saying goodbye. The speaker of this poem tells his son how people react in those given situations. Thinking about such things, the speaker becomes so sad that he somehow wants to unlearn such void customs. He wants to be a child again like his son and relearn the art of innocence and pure happiness.

4. Theme Cultural crisis Selfishness Loss of innocence Real emotion vs fake expression

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8. Once Upon a Time 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

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12. Thank you - Ms Pavithra Jain Department of English