September 05, 2025
Introduction
Let's look into the use of juxtaposition in the poem "Once Upon a Time by Gabriel Okara". This post is going to be of usefulness to anyone searching for: the central message in Once Upon a Time by Gabriel Okara, the structure of the poem Once Upon a Time by Gabriel Okara, Summary of the poem Once Upon a Time by Gabriel Okara, etc.
The Poet
Gabriel Okara who lived between 24th of April, 1921 and 25th of March, 2019 was a Nigerian poet, novelist and a human right activist. Some scholars, among other qualities, consider him the first modernist poet of Anglophone Africa. Gabriel Okara was born in Bumoundi in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
One of Gabriel Okara's poem is on this table of discussion. The poem "Once Upon a Time by Gabriel Okara" is an eight stanza free verse that centered on the negative impact of human exposure in a corrupt society. It must be noted that the poem shares similarities with Piano and Drums by Gabriel Okara in terms of juxtaposition and nostalgia.
The Use of Juxtaposition in the Poem
The poet employed the use of juxtaposition to channel his message to the readers. While creating a climactic flow of narration, he juxtaposed his present with his past.
Speaking of juxtaposition, there are two types of juxtaposition I noticed in the poem "Once Upon A Time by Gabriel Okara"_ the first is behavioral juxtaposition and the second is personality juxtaposition.
Personality refers to an individual's unique pattern of thoughts, feelings, and tendencies that influence their behavior. It's the underlying framework that shapes how a person perceives, processes, and interacts with the world. Personality is relatively stable over time and across situations.
Behavior, on the other hand, refers to the specific actions or reactions a person exhibits in response to their environment, situation, or stimuli. Behavior can be influenced by personality, but it's also shaped by external factors like context, culture, and learning.
There are many behavioral juxtaposition in the poem starting from the beginning of the poem_ the first stanza down to the third stanza.
The poet revealed some forms of insincere or corrupt behaviors such as "they shake hands without hearts" while pretending "to shake hands with their hearts".
Below is the stanza two of the poem, backing the claim of behavioral impurity the poet was complaining about:
"There was a time indeed
they used to shake hands with their hearts:
but that’s gone, son.
Now they shake hands without hearts
while their left hands search
my empty pockets."
In terms of personality juxtaposition, the poet compared his innocence with exposure. The voice of the poem, while narrating his ordeal to his little son, revealed that the society has built in him guilt, corruption, worldliness, cynicism, depravity; unlike when he was a little boy with innocence, purity, naivety, guilelessness, sincerity, innocuoness, virtue, cleanliness, and unblemished.
A good instance of the personality juxtaposition can be found in stanza six and seven of the poem quoted below:
"And I have learned too
to laugh with only my teeth
and shake hands without my heart.
I have also learned to say,’Goodbye’,
when I mean ‘Good-riddance’:
to say ‘Glad to meet you’,
without being glad; and to say ‘It’s been
nice talking to you’, after being bored.
But believe me, son.
I want to be what I used to be
when I was like you. I want
to unlearn all these muting things.
Most of all, I want to relearn
how to laugh, for my laugh in the mirror
shows only my teeth like a snake’s bare fangs!"
While I decide to put an halt to this discussion here, the privilege is yours to drop your comments below in the comment box.
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