Overview
| Study Guide | Once Upon a Time |
|---|---|
| Pages | 19 |
| Price | ₦500 |
Description
Study Guide: Once Upon a Time by Gabriel Okara is a detailed analysis of Gabriel Okara’s poem, “Once Upon a Time.” The poem is one of the six African poems recommended for the harmonized Literature-in-English syllabus for senior secondary schools (2026-2030) in West Africa. The text will be used for WASSCE, NECOSSCE, and other equivalent O-Level exams within the timeframe.
“Once Upon a Time” is a forty-three-line poem by Gabriel Okara that satirises the erosion of genuine human connections and emotions in our society. The poem uses vivid imagery to contrast the past and the present and to explain why there is a loss of sincerity, warmth, and authenticity in human interactions. The poet persona reminisces about a time when laughter came from the heart and the eyes, a signification of the genuine joy and connection people once shared. However, this authenticity has been replaced by a hollow formality where laughter is merely a display of teeth and handshakes lack heart and warmth.
This study guide by Literature Padi does a detailed analysis of the poem, along the lines of summary, stanza-by-stanza analysis, figures of speech, mood and tone, and the themes in the poem.
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