48. Once upon a Time (20)

1. Who wrote the poem?

A:- Gabriel Okara wrote the poem.

2. What is the first line of the poem?

A:- Once upon a time is the first line of the poem.

3. What victimised the speaker?

A:- Societal changes victimised the speaker.

4. How many stanzas and lines does the poem has?

A:- 7 stanzas and 43 lines make the poem.

5. How is the diction?

A:- The diction is simple.

6. From what is the speaker deviated from?

A:- The speaker is deviated from the real identity.

7. How is the modern society?

A:- The modern society is characterized by hypocrisy.

8. How is the tone of the poem?

A:- Diction is the tone of the poem.

9. Between whom does the lively conversation takes place?

A:- The lively conversation takes place in between a father and a son.

10. What is the character of a polite society?

A:- Genuine emotions is the character of a polite society.

11. What frightens the poet when he sees his smile in the mirror? What is the poetic device used here?

A:- As the poet becomes mechanical, so he has learnt mechanical smile. But when he sees his smile in the mirror, his smile, frightens him because his teeth looks like a snake's poison tooth. 

   Similie is the poetic device used.

12. Is the poem a fairy tale? Comment on the title.

A:- The poem's opening is like a fairy tale. But it is not a fairy tale. It only uses the western technique of narration while starting the the poem and the same in the title of the poem. Ironically, it wants to expose the hypocrisy of western values and traditions. The title and starting of the poem also shows the regret of the poet for the loss of past Nigerian values and thoughts.

13. What is the meaning of 'laugh with the teeth'?

A:- 'Laugh with the teeth' indicates artificial and mechanical laughter. It is emotionless, untrue and plastic-like. It is a metaphor used in the poem to express the artificial western ways transported from the West. Laughing with teeth can also be compared with the way how monkeys screech their teeth in irritation.

14. What are the 'muting' things referred? What does the poet want to unlearn?

A:- 'Muting' things are the artificial and mechanical behaviours of the modern man in Nigeria and Africa.

     The poet wants to 'unlearn' these muting things. These are artificial in nature. By learning these artificial ways, the poet seems to lose his peace of mind.

15. How did the people laugh once upon a time?

A:- According to the poet, people laughed with their and eyes once upon a time. Whereas, nowadays the people laugh with their teeth only which are fake and plastic laughter.

16. Why does the poet say "Glad to meet you" without being glad?

A:- The poet has taken to the ways and manners of modern man. So he says to a man who has met "Glad to meet you" though he was not glad at all. This shows the artificial and mechanical behaviour of people. This is a part of modern greeting system which has no inner warmth most of the time.

17. What does the poet want to relearn?

A:- The poet wants to relearn the behavioural pattern that he used in the past which were rich of Nigerian and African values. He is unhappy with the double standards of new modern ways transported from the Western society. 

18. Why have the eyes of the modern man been compared to block of eyes?

A:- The eyes of the modern man have been compared to a block of ice because they don't shine while laughing. They seem to be lifeless. The eyes do not confirm the laughter. It is a metaphor used in the poem to draw comparison.

19. What are some of the 'meeting things' which Okara says he want to unlearn.

A:- The poet observed that he had lost his true emotions and innocence and moulded himself as per the behavioural pattern of others. He has learned to smile only with his teeth without having any feelings. The laughter is only for the sake of laughing. It is fake and untrue. He feels emotionally detached from love and feelings. He has learnt to wear different faces for different occassions such as office face, street face, hostface, cocktail face and portrait fixed face for photographs.

20. What is being exposed by the poet?

A:- The poet exposes the hypocrisy of modern life. He says that people now laugh with their teeth. Their faces put on plastic images as per different requirements of different situations. These artificial ways are actually transported from the West.

21. What is the theme of the poem, 'Once Upon a Time?'(2022/2 Marks)