In this article, I’ll examine 15 literary devices in “Once Upon a Time” by Gabriel Okara or you can call it the figures of speech in “Once Upon a Time” by Gabriel Okara.
Metaphor: This is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things without using “like” or “as,” stating that one thing is another thing. Such examples in the poem Once Upon A Time are “laugh with their hearts”, “laugh with their eyes”, “shake hands with their hearts”, “wear many faces like dresses”, “muting things”, “laugh with only my teeth”.
Personification: This is a figure of speech that gives human-like qualities, emotions, or actions to non-human entities, such as objects, animals, or ideas. Here are the examples seen in the poem “their ice-block-cold eyes search”, “left hands search my empty pockets”, “my laugh in the mirror”.
Simile: This is a figure of speech that compares two different things using “like” or “as” to make the comparison. In the poem, few examples are “like dresses”, “like a snake’s bare fangs”.
Irony: This is a figure of speech or literary device in which there is a discrepancy or incongruity between what is expected and what actually happens, often conveying a meaning that is opposite of, or contrary to, what is explicitly stated. In the poem Once Upon A Time by Gabriel Okara there are few examples of irony such as “Feel at home!”, “Come again”, “say ‘Goodbye’ when I mean ‘Good-riddance'”, “say ‘Glad to meet you’ without being glad”, “say ‘It’s been nice talking to you’ after being bored”.
Hyperbole: To create exaggeration and examples in the poem are “ice-block-cold”, “unlearn all these muting things”.
Idiom: Is a phrase or expression that has a figurative meaning that is different from the literal meaning of the individual words. Examples “laugh with their teeth”, “shake hands without hearts”, “shake hands without my heart”
Symbolism: It is the use of an object, colour, or image to represent an abstract idea, concept, or meaning beyond its literal interpretation, such as a heart representing love or a dove representing peace. In the poem Once Upon a Time by Gabriel Okara, symbolisms are “shadow” which is used to symbolize insincerity, “doors shut on me” used to symbolize rejection; “relearn how to laugh” is used to symbolize youthful innocence.
Imagery: The act of painting mental pictures with words, phrases or sentences for vivid understanding. Examples “ice-block-cold eyes”, “empty pockets”, “doors shut on me”, “conforming smiles”, “my laugh in the mirror shows only my teeth”
Enjambment: The act of creating run-on-lines and in the poem, the third stanza of the poem contained such:
“they say, and when I come
again and feel
at home, once, twice,
there will be no thrice-“.
Repetition: In the poem, “once upon a time” is repeated and the following words are repeated as well; learned, heart, shake, laugh, son, smiles, etc.
Assonance: Here are few of the assonances in the poem; “it’s gone, son”, “doors shut on me”.
Alliteration: This is a figure of speech where words starting with similar consonant sounds are found in close proximity within a line. Instances in the poem are “cocktailface, with all their conforming smile”, “hands without my heart”, “being bored”.
Oxymoron: This is the act of placing opposite words side-by-side. Examples are “homeface, officeface, streetface” (combining contradictory ideas, like “home” and “office”).
