Once Upon A Time-
Gabriel Okara.
Summary.
The poem “Once Upon A Time” written by Gabriel Okara illustrates
the changes a father has seen in him throughout his life which have been
influenced by the way society has changed
In the first stanza, at the start of the poem
Okara writes “they used to laugh with their hearts and eyes; but now they only laugh with their teeth
while their ice-block cold eyes search behind my shadow.” This phrase
illustrates the change in the way people act showing that their laughs used to
be genuine and heartfelt however now their attitudes have changed. The
description of “laugh with their teeth” illustrates someone showing false
interest. The dark imagery “ice-block cold eyes” which follows shows that there
is no emotion or feeling in the action.
In
the next stanza Okara describes how “they used to shake hands with their
hearts” implying that the actions were genuine and were also symbolic of good
intentions however “Now they shake hands without hearts while their left hands
search my empty pockets.” This phrase illustrates that all good intentions have
gone and how now it is every man for him. Everybody is only focusing on their
own personal gain. The use of a metaphor emphasises how there is a lack of
trust as everybody is trying to use each other.
In
the next stanza,Okara shows the change in him as a man. “And I have learned,
too,… to say ‘Goodbye’, when I mean ‘Good-riddance”. Here there is an evident
shift in the stanza due to the fact that he is now talking about himself and
how he too has learned to be false. This could imply that society has pressured
him into changing in a negative way.
At
the end of the poem Okara confesses “I want to be what I used to be” showing
instant regret and sadness at the choices he previously made. This piece of
dialogue could suggest that he can only be himself around his son as he
recognises his younger self in his son, the self that was genuine and true,
which had not yet been beaten down by society.
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