ThePoem ofGabr i elOkar a’ s “ OnceUpon aTi me”
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Te r m paperpr esent ed To Prof .Lour desC.Manz ano I npar t i alf ul fil l me nto ft her e q ui r e m me e nt s I nEng l .175( As i anLi t e r at ur e )
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by Je ss aMaeDeGuz man
Mar c h3,2015
Introduction
Gabri elOkarai st hefir stsi gni ficantEngl i shl anguagebl ackAf ri can poet ,t he fir stAf r i can poett o wr i t ei n a moder n st yl e,and t hefir stNi ger i an wr i t ert o Bl ac k publ i s hi n and j o i nt hee di t o r i als t aff o ft hei nflue nt i all i t e r a r yj o ur nal Or pheus ( st art edi n1957) .Gabr i elOkarawasborni nNi ger i a.I n1979,hewas
awar ded t heCommonweal t h Poe t r yPr i z e . Duri nghi sl i f e,Okarahashel da numbe ro fj o bs ,i ni t i al l ywo r ki ngasabo okbi nde r ,j o ur nal i s t ,r adi obr o adc as t e r and newspapere di t or .Hehasal sot r av el ed t ot heUSAwher ehehel ped r ai se mo ne yf o rNi g e r i abygi v i ngpoe t r yr e c i t al s .
Okar a’ spoemst endr eflectt hepr obl emst hatAf r i can nat i onsf aceast heyare t orn bet ween t he cul t ur e oft hei rEur opean col oni ser s and t hei rt r adi t i onal Af r i c anher i t age.Heal sol ooksatt het r auma t i ceffectt hatc ol oni sat i onanddecol oni sat i on can haveon t hesel fand on one’ ssenseofper sonali dent i t y .As such,Okar aof t endepi ct schar act er ssufferi ngf r om ‘ cul t ur eshock’ast heyare t or n bet wee n t hes et wo i r r ec onci l abl e cul t ur es . On t he one hand t her e
i sChri st i ani t yand t hedefini t emat er i albenefit ssuch ascl assr oom educat i on and wel l pai dj obs t hatt he Eur opean way ofl i f e offer s,whi l e on t he ot her hand,t her ei st heunspokenexpect at i on t hatt he‘ t rue’Af ri canowesal l egi ance t ohi sor i g i nalt r i balc ul t ur eands houl de mbr a c et he s e‘ r oo t s ’ .
Asar es ul toft hi sdi v i de,Okar as ee mst osugges t ,many Af r i c ansdonotknow eUpo n a Ti me ‘ who t heyar e’or‘ whatt heyshoul d be. ’Hi s poem Onc cl ear l y
descr i best hepr obl emst hatcan ari sewhen t hecul t ur esofanci entAf ri caand moder nEur opecl ash l eav i ng peopl e wi t houta cl earse nseofhow t o behave andwher et ol ookf org ui dance.
Okaraal soexami nest hecont r astbet ween t hehonestsi mpl i ci t i esoft hepast and t he super fici alunr el i abi l i t y oft odays wor l d and he seems t o bel i eveat poi nt st hatonl y by l ooki ng atand l earni ng f r om t hei rpastcan t he Af r i can pe o pl eho pet oha v eapo s i t i v ef ut ur e .
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 "ow they shake hands without hearts while their le#t hands search my empty pockets $%eel at home!& $'ome again!; they say, and when ( come again and #eel at home, once, twice, there will be no thrice) #or then ( *nd doors shut on me +o ( hae learned many things, son ( hae learned to wear many #aces like dresses)home#ace, oce#ace, street#ace, host#ace, cocktail#ace, with all their con#orming smiles like a *.ed portrait smile And ( hae learned, too, to laugh with only my teeth and shake hands without my heart ( hae also learned to say, $Goodbye!, when ( mean $Good-riddance!; to say $Glad to meet you!, without being glad; and to say $(t!s been nice talking to you!, a#ter being bored But beliee me, son ( want to be what ( used to be when ( was like you ( want to unlearn all these muting things /ost o# all, ( want to relearn
how to laugh, #or my laugh in the mirror shows only my teeth like a snake!s bare #angs& +o show me, son, how to laugh; show me how ( used to laugh and smile once upon a time when ( was like you
Anal ys i s I read this poem 4 years ago and couldn’t let it off my mind, it was like yesterday. I like Gabriel Okara’s poem because his poem is advisory and speaks the truth.
This is a timeless poem in addressing the issues that face us all in this harsh world. It confronts us with the outcomes of the daily decisions we make and their continued long term affect on which we are. ho do we choose to be! "hould we think a little more when we conform to strictest rule of the e#pected social norms or do we give ourselves some leniency and take care to be true to who we are, with some consideration to the sensibilities of those around us.
The poem starts with the well$known words %Once upon a time&, suggesting that what the speaker is going to say is a fairy tale, something so far$fetched it might not even be believed. This makes us think that honesty in e#pressing emotion is so rare nowadays that it practically is a fairy tale. The speaker tells us that he has learnt to deal with this hard, insincere world by becoming 'ust like all the other people( he too hides his real emotions and speaks words he clearly does not mean.
The speaker wants to be as innocently sincere as his young son. )e wants to %unlearn all these muting things&( this suggests that he has learnt how to behave in a way which %mutes& or silences his real emotions. )e wants to get rid of his false laugh which %shows only my teeth like a snake’s bare fangs& * the comparison with the snake’s fangs makes the false, mask$like smile seem dangerous. The speaker regrets the loss of his innocence, but hopes his son can teach him.
The speaker showed various attitudes towards + th century. The speaker in this poem reminisces about a time when people were sincere and caring in their dealings with one another( he speaks regretfully about the present time, when people are not like before. )e seems to feel that people have lost the innocence and openness which he now sees in his young son( he wants to regain that innocence.
-onclusion In -onclusion the poem simply implicates that indeed time changes every person. because as we grow up, and be everywhere we get to meet different people and meeting different kids eventually calls for us to be appropriate in dealing the. it seems then to be an escape from any misdealing, unlike and misunderstanding that is why the author here is saying that he wears different masks. many are now doing this, not only for escape but also for other things like money, favor, and name.. and what sad here is that this act now becomes inevitable. )is son holds the key to this old, forgotten world. hat a wonderful poem It presents in such a simple manner, such a complicated sub'ect/ the pain of growing up, and the loss of innocence.
orks -ited
Gi bbs,JamesandBer nt hLi ndf or s.Rese ar chonGabr i elOkar a.Tr ent on: Af r i caWor l dPr ess,1993. Gabr i elOkar a. Onceuponat i me.1950.Li t er at ur et heHuman Exper i enceReadi ngandWr i t i ng.New Yor k:Bedf or d/St .Mart i n’ s,2006.
