Once Upon a Time : Annotations

Once upon a Time

( A Short Summary )

In this verse, the speaker regrets about the changes that have taken place in the attitude and behaviour of the people, including himself. He contrasts the bygone years with the present days and finds fakery in the present times. He regrets his own transformation from a genuine innocent boy to a man with masks or an unreal person. Though he dosen't like what he is, but he has already become one among those fake persons, just because he fears being labelled 'a non-conformist. This happens with many of us. We do not dare say 'a spade a spade'. We fear being labelled a rebel even though we know that we are right. In a bid to be 'a conformist', we do something we do not like and keep regretting later. And we are unable to come out of it.

We find a genuine confession from the speaker that he has acquired fakery and wish to change his ways to become a real person. He wants to unlearn all those suffocating fakeries and regain the innocence that he has lost. He asks his son to show him how to laugh because he has forgotten it.

Annotations

1. " While their ice-block cold eyes search behind my shadow"

This sentence appears in the verse, precisely, a dramatic monologue, 'Once upon a time' written by Gabriel Okara.

The speaker is a father of a small boy who is sick of leading a fake life. This unreal present world suffocates him.

Here, the phrase ' ice-block cold eyes' refers to the harsh and emotionless eyes. And the phrase 'search behind shadow' means look for weakness in a person.

He says that, now a days, people have no emotions that are reflected in the eyes. Instead, their harsh eyes look for the weakness in the other person so that he can be exploited for their personal gains.

The verse lays bare this artificial and fake world. And hints that some people don't like fakery. They like to be genuine.

2. "While their left hand search my empty pocket"

( Use first paragraph of the first Annotation)

The speaker says that while one hand is extended for friendship, the other hand seeks to gain personal benefits from even a person whose pocket is empty. People are becoming more and more exploitative.

Poet Gabriel Okara is sick of being a fake person. He wants to unlearn all the double standards and lead a genuine life.

3. "Feel at home, come again, they say"

( Write the first paragraph of the first Annotation)

These two are the courtesies used by a host to his guest. But, here these are not genuine. People of present generation are they don't mean what they say. If the guest takes these phrases to be genuine and visits third time; he finds the door closed for him.

Poet Gabriel Okara gives very good examples to show the fakery of the modern man. The poem is an eye opener.

4. "With all their conforming smiles like a fixed portrait smile"

( Use the first paragraph of the first Annotation)

The speaker, a father, confesses before his son that he has learnt to wear masks losing his originality. He has different facial expressions for different places, like home, office, street, party etc. with a smile attached to it. The phrase 'Portrait smile' means that remains same forever.

The speaker is guilty of being fake. He feels suffocated. He wishes to come out of si called conformist tag.

5. "For my laugh in the mirror shows only my teeth like a snake's bare fangs".

( Use the first paragraph of the previous Annotation)

The above lines clearly show how disgusting is it for the speaker who says that his teeth look like teeth of a venomous snake. This is because, his smile is unreal and artificial. It has no emotions. He is unhappy to have lost his original being and leading a life full of fakery.

In a bid to be a conformist, the speaker has lead a life of fakery and hollowness. Now, after realising that such life is suffocating him, he wishes to regain his original being and laugh heartily.

Milan Tomic

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