not so long ago essay
‘Once Upon a Time’, was written by Gabriel Okara, who will be a Nigerian poet. He often points out what happens when a traditional Africa culture satisfies the forces of the Western way of life. I do think the poem was created to describe the artificial personalities of numerous people and try and get them to return to an organic and innocent state. The poem tells of the conversation between what seems to be a father and son, in which the father desires to learn from his son tips on how to go back to normality and no much longer be fake.
The poem starts by the father informing his kid how, ‘once upon a time’, people, or ‘they’, ‘used to laugh with their hearts’. I believe that the word ‘they’ identifies western those who are white. As well this description gives the impression of real emotion radiated by the people. He then progresses to say that now they only, ‘laugh with the teeth, although their ice-block cold eyes search in back of his shadow’.
This gives off very negative, imitation and false feelings and it is a very chilly description. This affects the tone with the poem that now becomes scary and bitter.
Stanza two then shows more of the earlier when it is declared that, ‘they accustomed to shake hands with their hearts’, again this kind of image shows true and genuine feeling. But just as in the first Stanza the present the fact is then reviewed when it is stated that, ‘that has gone, now they will only wring hands with out hearts whilst their still left hands search his bare pockets’. This kind of shows that, once again the people are fake and seem to be using the man to view what they can get. Poem Stanza Four Gives the Modifications and Alternatives. Stanza three then goes toward explain even more about all of the changes he offers noticed in these kinds of false people.
Again the Stanza begins positive together with the phrases, ‘feel at home’, ‘come again’, but then procedes say that he will come once again, ‘once, twice’ but people ‘be no more thrice’ intended for then ‘I find entry doors shut about me’. This kind of shows that the folks lie whenever they say the great phrases after a few trips they have everything that they want from the man; their particular falseness can be reflected in the language each uses. The initially three Stanzas have the same composition. They start with telling earlier times and describing how things used to become, but then they will tell the negative actuality.
I think this really is used to compare the times and introduce the reader to the scenario. Stanza four presents the adaptations and solutions the man has found to counter the problems. It starts by saying that the man has, ‘learned a large number of things’, already suggesting that he has changed to fit in. He then explains the things this individual has discovered. He speaks of the false personalities or perhaps of his ‘many faces’. He explains to that he has learnt to ‘wear’ these encounters, suggesting that he dons faces several situations.
For example , he says this individual has an, ‘office-face, street-face, and host-face, proving that he acts in another way under several circumstances. That’s exactly what adds they may have, ‘conforming laughs, like a set portrait’. This kind of suggests much more falseness and changes. Poem Stanza Five: Learned to Laugh With Only His Teeth. Stanza five of the poem tells of the fake features to go along with the fake looks. It also repeats some of the serves that were pointed out earlier inside the poem. Duplication seems to be a vital technique from this poem. He says that this individual has also, ‘learned to giggle with only his teeth’ and ‘shakes hands without his heart’.
This suggests that he features copied the western techniques as this is what they did to you earlier inside the poem. That’s exactly what goes even more by stating he features learned to state, ‘Goodbye’ when he means, ‘Good-riddance’ and ‘Glad to meet you, without being glad’. I think the man can be ashamed of him self and is praying to his son how far the false attitudes are suffering from, he appears to hate what he has done. Stanza six and eight then demonstrate man displaying his repent as he says, “I desire to be what I used to be while i was like you, showing that he desires to be honest and truthful again.
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