Poem: Once Upon a Time by Gabriel Okara

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
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.

Analysis 

Once Upon a Time by Gabriel Okara is a poem that reflects on the loss of innocence

 and authenticity in human interactions due to societal expectations. It contrasts the

 genuine warmth of the past with the artificiality of the present, where smiles and 

words are insincere. The speaker, addressing their son, longs to return to the time 

when people expressed true emotions rather than hiding behind masks of politeness. 

The poem is rich with nostalgia and critique, emphasizing how modern social norms 

have eroded genuine human connections.

Paraphrasing of the poem “Once Upon a Time”  by Gabriel Okara

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,
while their ice-block-cold eyes
search behind my shadow.

Paraphrsing:
Son, there was a time when people laughed with genuine smiles, their eyes

 full of happiness. But now, their laughter is fake, just as a show of teeth. While

 their icy, emotionless eyes glance beyond me, seeking something unseen.

Literary devices of this stanza:

Repetition: The phrase "laugh with their hearts" and "laugh with their eyes" is

 repeated to emphasize the contrast between past sincerity and present artificiality.

Imagery: The poet uses vivid descriptions such as "ice-block-cold eyes" and "laugh

 with their teeth" to create a visual representation of insincerity and emotional 

detachment.

Metaphor: "Laugh with their teeth" suggests forced or fake laughter, and 

"ice-block-cold eyes" metaphorically represents a lack of warmth and genuine 

emotion.

Contrast (Juxtaposition): The poem contrasts past warmth ("laugh with their hearts") 

with present coldness ("ice-block-cold eyes") to highlight the shift from sincerity 

to pretense.

Personification: "Ice-block-cold eyes search behind my shadow" gives human

 like qualities to the eyes, implying suspicion and lack of trust.

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
while their left hands search
my empty pockets.

Paraphrsing:
Back then, when people shook hands, it was heartfelt. But that sincerity is gone

 now. Today, handshakes are empty gestures, while their other hand secretly 

checks if I have anything they can take.

Literary devices of this stanza:

Metaphor: "Shake hands with their hearts" represents genuine, heartfelt interactions,

 while "shake hands without hearts" symbolizes insincere, emotionless gestures.

Contrast (Juxtaposition): The poet contrasts the past ("used to shake hands with their 

hearts") with the present ("shake hands without hearts") to highlight the loss of sincerity 

in human relationships.

Imagery: The phrase "their left hands search my empty pockets" creates a strong 

visual of deceit and exploitation, implying that people are now more interested in 

taking advantage of others rather than forming genuine connections.

Personification: "Their left hands search my empty pockets" gives human intention

 to the hands, portraying greed and dishonesty.

Stanza 3

‘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.

Paraphrsing:
People say things like "Make yourself at home" and "Come again!" But if I visit 

again, maybe once or twice, I soon realize they don’t mean it. By the third time,

 I find their doors closed to me.

Literary devices in this stanza:

Irony: The phrases "Feel at home!" and "Come again!" sound welcoming, but 

in reality, the speaker is eventually rejected. This highlights the insincerity of 

social courtesies.

Repetition: The words "again" and "feel at home" are repeated to emphasize 

the speaker's initial belief in the hospitality, which is later proven false.

Contrast (Juxtaposition): The initial hospitality ("Feel at home!") is contrasted 

with rejection ("I find doors shut on me") to highlight the theme of hypocrisy.

Metaphor: "Doors shut on me" symbolizes exclusion, rejection, and the loss of

 genuine human connection.

Ellipsis (Omission): "Once, twice, there will be no thrice" creates suspense and 

emphasizes the sudden change from welcome to rejection.

Stanza 4

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.

Paraphrsing:
Because of this, I have learned to adapt. I’ve learned to wear different

 expressions, like outfits one for home, one for work, one for social events, 

and another for formal occasions. Each comes with a rehearsed, artificial 

smile, like a still image in a picture frame.

Literary devices in his stanza:

Metaphor: "Wear many faces like dresses" compares adopting different 

expressions to changing outfits, symbolizing the speaker’s ability to put on

 a false identity in different social situations.

Simile: "Like dresses" and "like a fixed portrait smile" compare facial 

expressions to clothing and a painted or frozen smile, emphasizing artificiality

 and emotional detachment.

Repetition: The repeated use of "face" in "homeface, officeface, streetface, 

hostface, cocktailface" emphasizes the speaker’s adaptation to different social 

roles, reinforcing the idea of pretense.

Imagery: The phrase "conforming smiles like a fixed portrait smile" creates a

 vivid picture of forced, unnatural expressions, highlighting societal pressure 

to maintain appearances.

Stanza 5

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.

Paraphrsing:
I have also learned to fake my emotions. I smile with my mouth but not with 

my heart. I shake hands without feeling. I say things I don’t mean, like “Goodbye” 

when I actually mean “Good riddance,” or “Nice to meet you” even when I don’t

 feel happy at all. I pretend to enjoy conversations even when I find them dull.

Literary devices in this poem:

Metaphor: "Laugh with only my teeth" symbolizes fake laughter, devoid of 

genuine joy, and "shake hands without my heart" represents insincere interactions.

Irony: The speaker describes saying phrases like "Goodbye" when they actually 

mean "Good-riddance" and "Glad to meet you" without truly feeling glad, highlighting

 the contrast between words and true emotions.

Repetition: The phrase "I have learned" is repeated to emphasize how the speaker

 has been forced to adopt artificial social behaviors over time.

Contrast (Juxtaposition): The phrases "Glad to meet you" and "without being 

glad," as well as "It’s been nice talking to you" and "after being bored," highlight 

the difference between polite speech and real emotions, reinforcing the theme 

of hypocrisy.

Imagery:  The descriptions of forced smiles, empty handshakes, and meaningless

 conversations create a strong image of pretense and emotional detachment.

Stanza 6

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.

Paraphrasing:
But, son, I don’t want to be this way anymore. I wish I could return to the way

 I used to be when I was as innocent as you. I want to forget all these false 

ways of behaving and relearn how to be real again. Most of all, I want to laugh

 sincerely, because when I see myself in the mirror, my smile looks forced, like 

the bared teeth of a snake.

Literary devices in this stanza:

Contrast (Juxtaposition): The speaker contrasts his past self ("what I used to 

be") with his present self, emphasizing the loss of authenticity and innocence.

Metaphor: "Unlearn all these muting things" compares the insincere behaviors 

the speaker has adopted to something that silences or suppresses his true self.

Repetition: The phrase "I want to" is repeated to emphasize the speaker’s strong 

desire to return to his former, more genuine self.

Imagery: "My laugh in the mirror shows only my teeth" creates a visual of an 

empty, forced smile, symbolizing the speaker’s realization of his own artificiality.

Simile: "Like a snake’s bare fangs" compares the speaker’s fake smile to 

a snake’s exposed fangs, suggesting deception, danger, and discomfort, 

reinforcing the theme of pretense and loss of innocence.

Stanza 7

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.

Paraphrase:
So please, son, teach me. Show me how to smile and laugh the way I did 

when I was young, when my happiness was real, and my emotions were pure.

Literary devices in this stanza:

Repetition: The phrase "show me" is repeated to emphasize the speaker’s 

longing to relearn genuine emotions from his son.

Contrast (Juxtaposition): The speaker contrasts his past ("when I was like

 you") with his present state, highlighting the loss of innocence and sincerity

 over time.

Allusion: "Once upon a time" is a phrase commonly associated with fairy

 tales, suggesting nostalgia for a past that feels distant and almost mythical.

Imagery: The request to "show me how I used to laugh and smile" evokes a

 visual representation of a once joyful and sincere past, contrasting with the

 artificiality of the present.

Summary:

In Once Upon a Time, the speaker tells his son about a past when people

 were sincere in their laughter and interactions. However, over time, society 

has become artificial, with people smiling without feeling and shaking hands

 without meaning. The speaker admits that he, too, has learned to adopt these

 fake behaviors, pretending to be happy and polite even when he doesn’t mean

 it. Despite this, he longs to regain his lost innocence and sincerity. He turns to

 his son, asking him to teach him how to smile and laugh genuinely, as he 

once did when he was young.

Central Idea:

The poem highlights how social interactions have become superficial and 

insincere over time. The speaker reflects on a past when people were 

genuine and contrasts it with the present, where deception and pretension 

dominate relationships. The poem expresses a deep longing to return to a

 time of true emotions, as seen through the eyes of a child.

Theme:

The poem explores several key themes:

1.Loss of innocence and authenticity: The speaker contrasts the sincerity

 of the past with the artificiality of the present.

2.Hypocrisy in Society: People now engage in fake smiles, insincere

 handshakes, and empty words.

3.Desire for Relearning Genuine Emotions: The speaker wants to

 unlearn these false behaviors and rediscover true happiness.

4.Parent-Child Contrast: The innocence of the child represents a 

time when emotions were real, and the father longs to return to that state.