Question

What major idea has the poet tried to get across to the readers in the satiric poem once upon a time ?

Answer 1

Gabriel Oakara, in his poem "Once upon a time" focusses on the idea of how humans lose their innate goodness as they grow into adults. A child is innocent and clean hearted, but as it matures, society moulds the personality. The poet is tired of living a life of deceit and desperately wants to go back to his childlike self. He wants to be a genuine person and not lead a pretentious life. The poet feels that with time, individuals become manipulative. They do not mean what they say, do not show their true feelings and are more interested in what they can gain from others (searching of pockets). Children on the other hand are away from such ill-feelings, greed and pretence.