This page gives a Once Upon a Time poem summary in clear, simple English. Gabriel Okara’s poem has seven stanzas. In it, a father compares the honest way people once lived with the false manners of modern life. Later, he admits that he has become false too.

Keep your textbook open as you read. First, read each stanza in the book. Then read the explanation below it. For an overview of the whole poem, visit our complete study guide.

The poem at a glance

Okara’s poem moves in three steps. Stanzas 1 to 3 describe how society has changed. Laughter, handshakes and welcomes have all lost their sincerity. In stanzas 4 and 5, the speaker confesses that he behaves the same way. Finally, stanzas 6 and 7 express his wish to return to the honesty of childhood.

Stanza 1: When laughter was real

The poem opens with a father speaking to his son. In the past, he explains, people laughed with their hearts. Their eyes joined in, so every laugh was a true sign of joy.

Things are different now. People show only their teeth when they laugh, while their eyes stay cold. Even as they smile at him, those eyes look past him, searching for something to take. From the first lines, then, the reader sees a world where kindness has turned into a show.

Stanza 2: Handshakes without warmth

Next, the father turns to the way people greet each other. A handshake once came from the heart and carried real friendship.

Today that warmth is gone. While one hand grips his, the other feels around in his pockets, which are empty. Greetings have become a kind of business, and people are friendly only when they expect some gain.

Stanza 3: A welcome that does not last

Hosts tell the speaker to feel at home and to come back soon. Trusting their words, he returns once, and then a second time.

On the third visit, however, the door is shut in his face. The invitation was never meant. Through this small story, the poet shows how true hospitality has given way to polite but empty talk.

Stanza 4: The father confesses

Up to this point, the speaker has blamed other people. Now the poem takes a sharp turn. He admits that he has learned the same habits himself.

Like someone changing clothes, he now puts on a different face for each setting. There is one for home, another for the office, and others for the street, for hosting guests and for parties. Each comes with a fixed smile that shows no real feeling.

Stanza 5: Polite words, hidden meanings

His confession goes further. Besides laughing without joy, he shakes hands without any warmth.

Worse still, his words no longer match his feelings. A goodbye really means he is glad to see someone leave. When he claims to be pleased to meet a person, he is not pleased at all. Even a friendly remark after a boring chat is a lie. Pretence has become part of his daily life.

Stanza 6: A look in the mirror

At this stage, the father longs to be the person he was as a child. His wish is to unlearn every false habit he has picked up.

Above all, he wants to laugh sincerely again. When he looks in the mirror, his laugh shows only teeth, like the bare fangs of a snake. That picture disgusts him, and it pushes him to seek change.

Stanza 7: A plea to the son

Finally, the father makes a simple request. He asks his son to show him how to laugh the way he once did, long ago, when he was as young and honest as the boy.

In this closing moment, the child becomes the teacher. Although the poem describes a sad loss, it ends with hope, because the speaker believes he can still change.

Putting it all together

Taken as a whole, the poem traces a journey from blame to confession to hope. At first, the speaker points at others. Then he turns the mirror on himself. By the end, he looks to his son for a fresh start. This honesty is what makes the poem so moving.

Want to go deeper? Explore the themes of the poem, study its poetic devices, or test yourself with our questions and answers.

Frequently asked questions

How many stanzas are in Once Upon a Time?

There are seven stanzas, written in free verse.

Where is the turning point?

It comes in stanza 4, where the speaker stops blaming others and admits his own faults.

Who is the speaker talking to?

A father addresses his young son throughout the poem.

Does the poem end sadly?

No. It closes with a hopeful plea, since the father believes he can learn to be sincere again.