Tamilnadu State Board New Syllabus Samacheer Kalvi 11th English Guide Pdf Poem 1 Once Upon A Time Text Book Back Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes.

Tamilnadu Samacheer Kalvi 11th English Solutions Poem 1 Once Upon A Time

11th English Guide Once Upon A Time Text Book Back Questions and Answers

1. Based on your understanding of the poem answer the following questions in one or two sentences each:

Question i.
What do you associate with the title of the poem?
Answer:
The title of the poem is associated with fables of the past when good prevailed not only in society but in the hearts of people.

Question ii.
What is the relationship between the narrator and the listener?
Answer:
The narrator is the father and the listener is his son.

Question iii.
What happens to the poet when he visits someone for the third time?
Answer:
The third time the poet visits someone, the door is shut on his face.

Question iv.
Pick out the expressions that indicate conflicting ideas.
Answer:

  • To say “Goodbye” when one means “Good-riddance”
  • To say “Glad to meet you” without being glad
  • To say “It’s been nice talking to you” after being bored.

Samacheer Kalvi 11th English Guide Poem 1 Once Upon A Time

Question v.
How does the poet compare his face with dresses?
Answer:
One keeps changing the dresses every day according to fashion and season; Likewise, the author keeps changing his faces. He has a different face for office, home, friends, party, and street.

Question vi.
What does the poet mean when he says “goodbye”?
Answer:
He means “good-riddance” when he says “goodbye”.

Question vii.
What pleasantries does the poet use to fake cordiality?
Answer:
The poet says “glad to meet you” when the poet means the visit is disturbing him. When one’s talk is boring, The poet says, “It’s nice talking to you”. He says “Goodbye” when he actually wants to say “good riddance”. The poet says the above to fake cordiality.

Question viii.
What does he desire to unlearn and relearn?
Answer:
He desires to unlearn muting things and relearn real qualities of childhood.

Question ix.
How is the poet’s laugh reflected in the mirror?
Answer:
The poet’s laugh in the mirror shows only his teeth, not his heart or human warmth. The teeth appear like a snake’s fangs. The false laughter could conceal enough poison to kill a person.

Question x.
What does the poet long for?
Answer:
The poet longs for his childhood days that are innocent and happy.

Question xi.
Mention the qualities the child in the poem symbolizes.
Answer:
A child is guileless. He /she is innocent. He multiplies his joy and halves his sorrow by sharing them with friends. A child does not have lasting anger and is quick to forgive and forget wrongs done to him. His friendship is genuine and laughter natural and spontaneous.

Samacheer Kalvi 11th English Guide Poem 1 Once Upon A Time

2) Fill in the blanks choosing the words from the box given and complete the summary of the poem:

Samacheer Kalvi 11th English Guide Poem 1 Once Upon a Time 2
Question 1.
The poet Okara in this narrative monologue painfully condemns the (a) ______ displayed by adults, both in their words and actions. Here, a father laments to his son about the negative changes that creep into the attitude and behaviour of humans, when they grow into (b) ______. He says that people used to be (c)_______ when they laugh and the honesty would be reflected in their eyes. But, people of modern times laugh (d) ______. Their handshakes used to be warm and happy conveying a sense of togetherness, but nowadays the handshakes have become a mere (e) ______. He warns his son that people are not trust-worthy and have become so selfish that they are concerned only about their own (f)________ benefits.

People utter words of welcome and exchange (g) ______, but those words come only from the tip of their tongues and not from the depth of their hearts. Humans have learned the art of changing their (h) ______ expressions according to situations merely to ensure social acceptance. They wear (i) ______ and exhibit multiple faces. The narrator admits that he has also changed into a hypocrite. However, he tells his son that though he (j)_______ his expressions, he does all these against his will. He says he wants to become a (k) ______ again and laugh genuinely.

He wants to (l)______ the unreal things and (m) how to laugh as he had done once upon a time. When he laughs before the (n) ______, he sees no expression. His teeth are bare like that of the (o)_______ of a snake. So, he asks his son to show him how to laugh the way he used to laugh when he was a kid like him.

Answer:
a) Duplicity
b) adults
c) genuine
d) superficially
e) falsity
f) personal
g) pleasantries
h) facial
i) masks
j) fakes
k) child
l) unlearn
m) relearn
n) mirror
o) fangs

Samacheer Kalvi 11th English Guide Poem 1 Once Upon A Time

3a) Interpret each of the expressions used in the poem in one or two lines:

Question i.
Laugh with their eyes.
Answer:
Eyes are the windows of the soul, so when one laughs heartily and with true feelings, it gets reflected in their eyes.

Question ii.
Shake hands without hearts.
Answer:
It is a handshake that does not show warmth but a routine formality.

Question iii.
Like a fixed portrait smile.
Answer:
A smile that remains fixed and does not change with personal feelings and moods.

Question iv.
Hands search my empty pockets.
Answer:
In society at present relationships are measured in terms of how much money/power one has.

Question v.
To unlearn all these muting things.
Answer:
Getting rid of falseness in one’s behavior makes one laugh unpleasant.

Samacheer Kalvi 11th English Guide Poem 1 Once Upon A Time

3b) Read the following sets of poetic lines and answer any form of the following:

i) But now they only laugh with their teeth
While their ice-block- cold eyes

Question a.
Who are they?
Answer:
They refer to the people of modern times.

Question b.
Explain ice-block – cold – eyes
Answer:
It means modern people greet each other with a laugh, which does not reach the eyes. In short, the eyes lack a feeling of warmth.

Question c.
Identify the figure of speech used here.
Answer:
The figure of speech used here is a metaphor.

ii) 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 !’

Question a.
Why does the poet want to relearn how to laugh?
Answer:
The poet wants to get rid of falseness in his behaviour. So he wants to relearn how to behave in a natural way.

Question b.
Whom does the poet want to relearn from?
Answer:
The poet wants to relearn from his son.

Question c.
Mention figure of speech used here.
Answer:
The figure of speech used here is Simile.

Samacheer Kalvi 11th English Guide Poem 1 Once Upon A Time

Additional Appreciation Questions:

(i) Once upon a time, son
They used to laugh with their hearts And laugh with their eyes:

Question a.
Who does ‘they’ refer to?
Answer:
They refer to the people of the present world.

Question b.
How did they laugh?
Answer:
They laugh with their hearts and eyes.

(ii) There was a time indeed
They used to shake hands with their hearts.
But that’s gone, son
Now they shake hands without hearts
Write their hands search
My empty pockets.

Question a.
When did people shake their hands with hearts?
Answer:
People shook hands with their hearts before the arrival of modernism.

Question b.
What does the phrase ‘Search my empty pockets’ mean?
Answer:
Search my empty pockets means evaluating a poet’s worth.

(iii) “I have learned to wear many faces”
And I have learned too
To laugh with only my teeth.
And shake hands without my heart.

Question a.
What did the poet learn to wear?
Answer:
The poet learned to wear many faces.

Question b.
Find out the alliterated words
Answer:
hands-heart

(iv) So, show me, son
How to laugh; show me how used to laugh and smile.

Question a.
Whom does the poet ask to show?
Answer:
The poet asks his son to show how to laugh.

Question b.
What does he want to learn from his son?
Answer:
He wants to learn how to laugh.

Samacheer Kalvi 11th English Guide Poem 1 Once Upon A Time

Figure of Speech:

Poetic lines Figure of speech
1. I have learned to wear many faces like dresses Simile
When I was like you Simile
2. —– with all their conforming smiles ‘ Simile
Like a fixed portrait smile Simile
3. While their ice-block – cold eyes

4. To unlearn all their muting things

5. They used to shake hands with their hearts

Metaphor
Metaphor
Alliteration
6. Cocktail face, with all their Conforming smiles Alliteration
7. Nice talking to you  after being bored Alliteration
8. But believe me, son Alliteration
9. I want to be What I used to be Alliteration
10. Shows only my teeth like a snake’s bare fangs

11. So show me, son

Alliteration

Alliteration

Alliteration
12. Once upon a time

13. “Feel at homes come again

14. When I mean “good-riddance”

Repetition
Sarcasm
Oxymoron
15. I find doors shut on me

16. They used to laugh with their heart

17. They shake hands without hearts

Euphemism
Metonymy
Metonymy.

Samacheer Kalvi 11th English Guide Poem 1 Once Upon A Time

C. Explain the following with reference to the context:

i) Once upon a time, son
They used to laugh with their eyes:

Reference:
These lines are taken from Poem – “Once upon a time”, poet – “Gabriel Okara”.
Context:
The poet says these words while explaining the behaviour of the people in the past.
Explanation:
The poet tells his son about the behaviour of people in the olden days. He remembers a time when people had true feelings for one another. They would laugh from the heart which reaches their eyes with the same warm feeling. They meet one another with genuine feeling.

ii) There will be no thrice

Reference:
These lines are taken from Poem – “Once upon a time”, poet – “Gabriel Okara”.
Context:
The poet brings out the sarcastic feeling through this line.
Explanation:
The poet says that today in the modern world people receive their guests and say come again and ask them to feel at home. But those words do not come from their heart. When the guests visit them once or twice they will be given a warm welcome. When it continues for the third time the doors of the people remain shut for the guest.

iii) I have learned to wear my faces
Like dresses ……………

Reference:
These lines are taken from Poem – “Once upon a time”, poet – “Gabriel Okara”.
Context:
Here the poet talks about the innate changes in him.
Explanation:
The poet changes his behaviour according to the situation which prevails at that time and slowly disappears his natural behaviour. In this context, he compares his change of behaviour with that of changing dresses suitable for different occasions.

iv) I want to be what I used to be.

Reference:
These lines are taken from Poem – “Once upon a time”, poet – “Gabriel Okara”.
Context:
The poet said these words while expressing his longing desire for his childhood days.
Explanation:
The poet has a deep desire to go back to the innocence of childhood. He is dissatisfied with his own changed self. He wants to relearn how to behave in a natural way and wants to get rid of his fake behaviour. In this context, he uttered the above words.

Samacheer Kalvi 11th English Guide Poem 1 Once Upon A Time

4. Answer the following questions in about 100-150 words each:

Question I.
Explain the things the poet has learned when he grew into an adult.
Answer:
The poet has learned many fake attitudes and behaviour when he grew into an adult. As he has to thrive in society, he is forced to wear a face mask. The poet feels that he behaves differently in different situations. He behaves differently in the office compared to the way he behaves at a party, or on the street. In this context, he feels that he changes his face like that of changing dresses on different occasions. This fact gets conveyed through the lines

I have learned to wear many faces Like dresses

The poet is sure that the different face that he puts on is not his real face. He also learned to have an artificial smile on all occasions. He learned to say things that he doesn’t really mean because they are the correct things to say in that situation.

For example, He sometimes politely greets a person by saying “Glad to meet you” even though he may not be interested in meeting him or her. He also learned to laugh only with teeth which is expressionless and shake hands without his heart which makes it a routine formality. He feels sad that like other adults in today’s world he has forgotten how to be a natural person.

Question II.
This poem is nothing but criticism of modern life. Justify this statement.
Answer:
The poem ‘Once Upon A Time’ is for sure considered a criticism of modern life. Throughout the poem, the poet laments about the fake behaviour of the people in the present day. They do not laugh wholeheartedly and their hands shake has no warmth in it. Everything seems to be a mere formality.

In society at present relationships are measured in terms of how much money one has. People utter Words of welcome and exchange pleasantries but those words come only from the tip of their tongues and not from the tip of their hearts. They have also learned the art of changing their facial expressions according to situations merely to ensure social acceptance.

Moreover, their smiles are “Like a fixed portrait smile” which has no specific expressions in it. They are not trust-worthy and have become so selfish that they are concerned only about their own personal benefits. Even when they utter words of a good deed they mean something else in their mind which clearly gets conveyed from the lines.

To say Glad to meet you without being glad;
Thus it is made clear that the poem is just a criticism of modern life.

Samacheer Kalvi 11th English Guide Poem 1 Once Upon A Time

Question III.
“Face is the index of the mind” Does this adage concur with the views of the poet?
Answer:
The face is described as the index of mind since it evidently reflects the inner feelings of an individual. It produces sentiments, thoughts, and emotional feelings in a very strong way as compared to other parts of the body. Some scholars see the face as an advertisement of real occurrences deep in the mind.

In this poem ‘Once Upon A Time,’ the poet brings forth the falsity of the people who does not get revealed in their face in any way. They change their facial expressions according to situations merely to ensure social acceptance. They wear masks and exhibit multiple faces. The lines – home face, office face, street face, host face, the cocktail face reveals the above fact.

Even when they utter words of pleasantries they have something else in their mind which does not get revealed in their face. They say “It’s been nice talking to you”, after being bored. Thus the above facts clearly reveal that the adage “ Face is the index of the mind” does not concur with the views of the poet.

Samacheer Kalvi 11th English Guide Poem 1 Once Upon A Time

கவிஞரைப் பற்றி:

கேப்ரியேல் ஒக்காரா (Gabriel Okara) 1921 ம் ஆண்டு பிறந்த நைஜீரிய கவிஞரும், புதின எழுத்தாளரும் ஆவார். இவருடைய கவிதைகள் அதிகமான மொழிகளில் மொழிபெயர்க்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. The call of the river nun என்ற இவரது கவிதை நூல் நைஜீரிய இலக்கிய விழாவில் சிறந்த இலக்கிய விருதை 1953 ல் பெற்றுள்ளது.

இவரின் சில கவிதைகள் Black Orpheus என்ற புத்தகத்தில் வெளிவந்ததன் மூலம் 1960ல் தலைச்சிறந்த எழுத்தாளராக உருவாக்கிக் கொண்டவர்.ஆகவே இவருக்கு Commonwealth கவிஞர் விருதும் வழங்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

ஒக்காராவின் கவிதைகள் மக்களின் எதார்த்த வாழ்வைப்பற்றி தொடங்கி, மகிழ்ச்சியான தருணங்களை சொல்லி மீண்டும் எதார்த்த வாழ்க்கைக்கு இட்டுச் செல்வதாக அமைந்திருக்கும். ஒக்காரா தன்னுடைய கவிதையிலும், உரை நடையிலும் ஆப்ரிக்காவின் சிந்தனைகள், கிராமிய வழக்கு ஆகியவற்றை எடுத்துயம்புவதாக உருவாக்கியிருக்கிறார்.

The voice இவரின் மிகச்சிறந்த படைப்பு. The Fisherman’s invocation (1978), Little snake and Little frog (1981) An adventure to Juju Island (1992) ஆகியவை இவரின் சிறந்த படைப்புகள்.

Samacheer Kalvi 11th English Guide Poem 1 Once Upon A Time

கவிதையைப் பற்றி:

இக்கவிதை ஒரு தந்தை தன் மகனிடம் பேசுவதாக ஒக்காரா அமைந்திருக்கிறார். கவிதையாளர் தான் சிறுவயதாக இருக்கும் போது கற்றுக் கொண்ட நல்ல பழக்க வழக்கத்தையும், சிறு குழந்தைகளின் நல்ல உள்ளத்தையும் அதிகமாக நேசிப்பதாகவும், தானும் அந்த சிறுவயதான குழந்தைபோல் மகிழ வேண்டுமென்றும், இப்போது உள்ள உலக மாயையை வெருப்பதாகவும் தன் எளிய நடையில் தன் மகனிடம் கூறுகிறார்.

Once Upon a Time Summary in Tamil

மகனே, முன்னொரு காலத்தில்
இனிமையான இதயத்தோடும்
நேரிய அன்பு பார்வையோடும் புன்னகைத்தார்கள்
ஆனால் இப்போதோ வெறும் உதட்டளவில் புன்னகைக்கிறார்கள்,

அவர்களது நேசமில்லா கண்கள்
உள்ளொன்று வைத்து புறமொன்று பேசுகின்றன.
உண்மையில் ஒரு காலம் இருந்தது
அவர்கள் தங்கள் இதய அன்போடு கைகுலுக்கிக் கொண்டார்கள்

ஆனால் மகனே அவை தற்போது இல்லை
தற்போது மனம் இல்லாமல் கைகுலுக்கிக் கொள்கிறார்கள்
அவர்கள் இடது கைகள்
காலியாக உள்ள என் பைகளை துழாவுகின்றன.

Samacheer Kalvi 11th English Guide Poem 1 Once Upon A Time

உங்கள் வீடாக கருதுங்கள், மறுபடியும் வாருங்கள்
மனிதர்கள் சொல்கிறார்கள், நானும் வரும்போதெல்லாம் என் வீடாக கருதினேன்
திரும்பவும் சென்றேன், வீட்டைப் போல்
உணர்ந்தேன், முதல் முறை, இரண்டாம்முறை

ஆனால் மூன்றாவது முறை
அவர்கள் எனக்கு கதவுகளை மூடிக்கொண்டார்கள்.
அதனால் நான் பலபாடங்களை கற்றுக்கொண்டேன், மகனே
நான் ஆடைகள் போன்று பல முகங்களை

அணிய கற்றுக்கொண்டேன் – வீட்டின் முகம்,
அலுவலக முகம், தெரு முகம், தொகுப்பாளர் முகம்
கவலை உணர்ச்சிகளை காட்டும் முகம், நிலையான உருவப்பட புன்னகைப்போல்
அப்புன்னகை நிலையான ஏமாற்றமும் செயற்கையாக இருந்தது.

Samacheer Kalvi 11th English Guide Poem 1 Once Upon a Time 1

நானும் கற்றக்கொண்டேன்
செயற்கையாக சிரித்துக்கொள்ள கற்றுக்கொண்டேன்
மனம்மில்லாமல் கைகுலுக்கிக் கொண்டேன்
“பிரியாவிடை (good bye) சொல்ல கற்றுக்கொண்டேன்

“ஒழிந்தது நல்லதே” என நினைக்கும் இடத்தில்:
”சந்தித்ததில் மகிழ்ச்சி என சொல்ல வேண்டியிருந்தது
மகிழ்ச்சியாக இல்லாமல் அவர்களிடம் “உங்களோடு
பேசுவதில் மகிழ்ச்சி அடைகிறேன் என சலிப்புடன் பொய் கூறினேன்.

Samacheer Kalvi 11th English Guide Poem 1 Once Upon A Time

சந்தித்தது மகிழ்ச்சியாக உள்ளது” என சலித்து பொய் கூறினர்
ஆனால் நம்பு மகனே
நான் உன்னைப்போல் இருக்கும்போது
நான் எனக்கு பிடித்ததை செய்வேன்

எல்லாவற்றையும் மிகைப்படுத்திக் கூறும் செயல்களை
கற்காமல் இருக்க, நான் திரும்பவும்
சிரிக்க கற்றுக்கொண்டேன், கண்ணாடியில் சிரிக்க,
உதட்டளவில் பாம்பின் விஷம் கொண்ட பற்கள் போல.

மகனே என்னிடம் காட்டு
எப்படி மகிழ (சிரிக்க) வேண்டும் என்று; என்னிடம் வெளிப்படுத்து
நான் எவ்வாறு புன்னகைத்தேன் என்று
அன்றோரு காலம் நான் மகிழ்ந்தது போல்.

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