Once Upon a Time - Gabriel Okara Summary & Analysis [African Poetry]

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African Poetry: Once Upon a Time by Gabriel Okara Summary, Setting, Author's Background, Themes, Language, Style and Likely Theory/Essay Questions for JAMB, WAEC and NECO Literature Students Syllabus.

It is no longer news that the above selected poetry is among the selected texts for literature students in the WAEC, NECO and JAMB Syllabus.

Well we have decided to help students by providing some insights such as summary and poetic devices and analysis of the poem to aid them understand and prepare ahead of their examination.

Once Upon a Time" by Gabriel Okara is a powerful poem that highlights the effects of societal change, especially in human relationships. It serves as a reminder of the importance of sincerity and honesty in our interactions. The poem is relevant for WAEC/NECO students as it teaches moral lessons about personal integrity and the impact of modernization on cultural values.

Once Upon a Time

By Gabriel Okara

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
6. 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
12. 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—
18. 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
24. 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
32. 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
39. 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
43. Once upon a time when I was like you.

AUTHORS BACKGROUND

Gabriel Okara (1921–2019) was a Nigerian poet and novelist. He is one of Africa’s first modernist poets, known for his works that blend African traditions with Western literary styles. His poetry often explores themes of colonialism, cultural identity, and the loss of innocence. "Once Upon a Time" is one of his most famous poems, reflecting his concern about how societal values have changed over time.

SETTING

The poem does not have a specific physical setting but rather contrasts two different social environments:

• The past: A time when people were sincere and warm-hearted.
• The present: A world where people are fake, insincere, and materialistic.

It reflects a changing society, possibly influenced by colonialism and modernization, where traditional African values of honesty and community have been replaced by Western-style formality and hypocrisy.

Summary of "Once Upon a Time"

The poem is a reflection on how people’s attitudes and behaviors have changed over time. The speaker, an older person, speaks to his son about how, in the past, people were sincere and warm in their interactions. However, society has now become filled with dishonesty, pretense, and artificiality.

The speaker laments that people no longer laugh with genuine joy but instead give fake smiles. Handshakes, which once symbolized warmth and friendship, have become superficial gestures, often motivated by selfish interests. The speaker has also adapted to this fake lifestyle, learning to put on different faces for different situations.

However, despite having conformed to society’s insincerity, the speaker expresses regret and a desire to return to his original, innocent self. He looks up to his son, hoping the child can teach him how to laugh and be sincere once again.

Stanza Structure

The poem consists of seven stanzas, varying in length. There is no fixed rhyme scheme, making the poem more conversational and expressive. Each stanza contributes to the theme of lost innocence and the contrast between past and present.

Stanza One

Lines 1 — 6: The speaker reflects on the past when people used to be sincere in their emotions. They would laugh genuinely, with warmth in their hearts and eyes. However, in the present, people laugh only with their teeth, while their cold eyes show no real happiness. The phrase "ice-block-cold eyes" suggests that people have become emotionally distant and insincere.

Stanza Two

Lines 7 - 12: The speaker continues comparing the past and present, noting that handshakes once symbolized true friendship. In the past, people shook hands with warmth and honesty, but now handshakes are empty gestures. Worse still, people shake hands while secretly checking if the speaker has anything valuable in his pockets, showing that interactions are now based on self-interest.

Stanza Three

Lines 8 — 18: Here, the speaker talks about how people use fake hospitality to deceive others. Phrases like "Feel at home!" and "Come again" sound welcoming, but in reality, they are insincere. If the speaker takes these invitations seriously and visits too often, he will eventually find the doors shut in his face. This highlights how modern social relationships lack true warmth and are based on pretense.

Stanza Four

Lines 19 - 24: The speaker admits that he has learned to conform to these societal changes. He has adapted by wearing "many faces like dresses", meaning he pretends to be different people in different situations. He mentions specific "faces" for different occasions, such as home, office, street, and social events. This shows how people have lost their true selves, replacing honesty with artificial personalities.

Stanza Five

Lines 25 - 32: The speaker reveals that he has mastered the art of fake emotions. He now laughs only with his teeth, without any real joy, and shakes hands without feeling any connection. He has also learned to say things he does not mean, such as saying "Goodbye" when he actually means "Good-riddance", and pretending to be happy to meet people when he is actually uninterested. This stanza emphasizes the theme of hypocrisy and pretense in modern society.

 

Stanza Six

Lines 33 - 39: Despite adapting to these societal norms, the speaker expresses deep regret. He wishes to return to his innocent past when he was genuine and truthful. He acknowledges that his reflection in the mirror no longer shows real happiness, comparing his fake smile to "a snake’s bare fangs," which symbolizes danger and deceit. This imagery highlights the extent of his transformation into a fake person.

Stanza Seven

Lines 40 - 43: In the final stanza, the speaker turns to his son for help. He believes his child still possesses the innocence and sincerity he has lost. He pleads with his son to teach him how to laugh and smile naturally again, as he did "once upon a time" when he was young. This ending reinforces the contrast between childhood innocence and adult corruption.

THEMES

The Loss of Innocence: The poem contrasts childhood sincerity with the fake behavior of adulthood.

Pretense and Hypocrisy: Society forces people to wear "masks" and behave artificially.

Desire for Change: The speaker wants to regain his lost sincerity and innocence.

Cultural Shift and Western Influence: Traditional African warmth has been replaced by Western formalities.

Generational Differences: The father looks to his son as a model of truthfulness and innocence.

LANGUAGE AND STYLES

Simple and Conversational Tone: The poem is written in a way that feels like a father talking to his son.

Imagery:

• "They used to laugh with their hearts and laugh with their eyes" – symbolizes sincerity.
• "Now they only laugh with their teeth" – represents fake emotions.

Symbolism:

• "Many faces like dresses" – symbolizes the different roles people play in society.
• "Handshake without hearts" – represents insincerity in relationships.

Contrast:

• The poem contrasts the past (genuine emotions) with the present (fake behavior).

Repetition:

• Words like "once upon a time" and "show me, son" emphasize the speaker’s regret and longing for change.

WAEC/NECO LIKELY QUESTIONS ON ONCE UPON A TIME BY GABRIEL OKARA

SECTION A: COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Summarize the poem in your own words.
2. Who is the speaker in the poem, and who is being addressed?
3. What does the phrase "They used to laugh with their hearts and laugh with their eyes" mean?
4. Explain the meaning of "Now they only laugh with their teeth, while their ice-block-cold eyes search behind my shadow."
5. What does the speaker mean by saying he has learned to wear "many faces like dresses"?

 

SECTION B: THEMATIC QUESTIONS

6. Identify and explain two major themes in the poem.
7. How does the poem portray the difference between the past and the present?
8. Discuss the role of the speaker’s son in the poem.
9. In what ways does the poem reflect the impact of Western influence on African culture?

 

SECTION C: LITERARY DEVICES

10. Identify and explain two literary devices used in the poem.
11. How does the poet use contrast to develop the message of the poem?
12. What is the significance of the repetition of "Once upon a time" in the poem?
13. Explain the symbolism of "a fixed portrait smile" in the poem.

 

SECTION D: ESSAY QUESTIONS

14. Write an essay discussing the changes in human relationships as highlighted in the poem.
15. What lessons can modern society learn from this poem?
16. If you were the son being addressed in the poem, how would you respond to your father’s concerns?

These questions are designed to test comprehension, thematic understanding, literary appreciation, and critical thinking skills