“Once Upon a Time” By Gabriel Okara

This is a poem by the Nigerian poet Gabriel Okara, in which he laments the lost innocence of youth. In it he condemns the hypocrisy of adults – hemmed in and constrained by rules and conventions – adopting masks for different occasions: for lying, cheating and betraying – whereas childhood is portrayed as a time of honest laughter, and spontaneity. This poem “Once Upon A Time” illustrates the changes a father has seen in him throughout his life which have been influenced by the way society has changed. 

The situation of this poem is about a parent looking at his son and being reminded about how he used to be as sincere and honest in his feelings as his young child and he now realizes how much he has changed into a fake person. This situation shows a kind of regret.

Themes:

 The theme is  About how people change over the years and become false and untrustworthy. And About the influence of the white western world on African nations – how countries like Nigeria were more honest before being developed by the west.

Character:

In the poem “Once Upon a Time” the author enhances them through character by conveying the character as an emotionally depressed father who is telling a story to his son. “Once upon a time, son.” This shows that after growing up, adults become familiarized with the world and hence start to change. After having kids, they get a sense of how much they have changed and look for joy and happiness through their children. In the poem “Once Upon a Time” the author enhances the theme through character by conveying the story teller as an adult who hates his personality and visualizes his past self in his son. “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”. This depicts that most adults who regret how they live, find joy in their children and that they usually relate their past selves as their children. Seeing how happy and carefree their children are makes them realize how much they have changed and want to be more like how they were before.

The poem “Once upon a time” is about a father telling his son about the past and present. In the beginning of the poem the father tells how in the past person actually use to laugh with their hearts but now people hide their feelings by pretending to laugh and pretend to care about others.Then the father says how he has now learned to wear many different faces. Towards at the end of the poem the father says that he doesn't want to be like this, he wants to be what he was when he was young. At the end the father tells his son to show him how to laugh and smile again. So,  The poem shows immense focus on the latter lives of adults and makes the audience realize that you shouldn’t do anything you’ll regret when looking back at your life.