It is an analysis of the poem "One Upon A Time" by Gabriel Okara

2. 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.
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,
2

3.  Born on April 21, 1921 in Bumodi,
Nigeria
 A poet and novelist
 Uses folklore, religion, myth and
social issues to explore tradition
and transition
 Extremely successful in
apprehending the moods, sights
and sounds of Africa
 Shows concern when the ancient
culture of Africa is faced with
modern Western culture
3
Gabriel
Imomotimi
Gbaingbain Okara

4. 4
1
3 4
2

5. Living in the present full of
artificiality makes people want
to relive the past full of sincerity

7. 7
Once upon a time, son,
they used to
and :
but now they only ,
while their
search behind my shadow.
There was a time indeed
they used to :
but that’s gone, son.
Now they
while their
.
:
they say, and when I come
again and feel
at home,
-
for then I find doors shut on me.
📌 1

8. So I have learned many things, son.
I have learned to wear many
, with all their
.
And I have learned too
to
and .
I have also learned to say,
:
to say
; and to say
.
But believe me, son.
I want to be what I used to be
when I was like you. I want
to .
Most of all, I want to
, for
8
📌 4

9. 📌 7So show me, son,
how to laugh;
.

10. 10
Alliteration
…shake hands with their
hearts…
…‘It’s been nice talking to
you’, after being bored.
But believe me, son…
…to unlearn all these muting
things…
So show me, son,…
.
Assonance
…while their ice-block-cold
eyes…
…at home, once, twice,
there will be no thrice-…
…I have learned to wear
many faces like dresses –
homeface,
officeface,streetface,
hostface,cocktailface…
Simile
…I have learned to wear
many faces like dresses …
…shows only my teeth like a
snake’s bare fangs!

11. 11