once upon a time 10th Class English - full story

 once upon a time 10th Class English - full story

Here is “Once Upon a Time” – Class 10th English (Full Story / Explanation in Easy English), written in a story-like, exam-oriented way 👇

Once Upon a Time

Author: Gabriel Okara

Full Story / Explanation

Once upon a time, people were simple, honest, and true to their feelings. They laughed with their whole hearts and smiled sincerely. Their words matched their thoughts, and their actions reflected genuine love and respect. Human relationships were based on trust, care, and honesty. People welcomed each other warmly and meant what they said.

But as time passed, society began to change. People learned new ways—not always good ones. They started wearing “faces” instead of showing their real emotions. Smiles became artificial, laughter became empty, and words lost their true meaning. People now greet others politely, but their hearts are cold. They shake hands warmly, but their intentions are often selfish.

The poet compares modern people to actors who change masks according to the situation. At home, at work, or in society, people behave differently to please others or gain benefits. They pretend to be friendly, but inside they may feel jealousy, greed, or hatred.

The poet sadly remembers his childhood when he was innocent and pure. As a child, he trusted everyone and believed in honesty. But while growing up, he was forced to learn the “ways of the world.” He learned how to lie politely, smile falsely, and hide his true feelings to survive in society.

Now, the poet feels unhappy and tired of this artificial life. He wants to return to the old days of innocence and truth. He asks his son to teach him how to laugh and smile again genuinely, like a child. He wishes to unlearn hypocrisy and relearn honesty.

The poem highlights the loss of moral values in modern society and strongly criticizes false behavior. It shows the contrast between the pure past and the fake present.

Theme of the Poem

• Loss of honesty and innocence
• Hypocrisy in modern society
• Difference between childhood purity and adult artificiality
• Desire to return to true emotions

Message of the Poem

The poem teaches us that true happiness lies in honesty and sincerity, not in artificial smiles and fake relationships. We should try to be genuine, truthful, and emotionally real in our lives.

Below are exam-oriented notes for “Once Upon a Time” (Class 10th English) — including Summary, Short Answer Questions, and Long Answer Questions, written in simple and clear English for easy learning.

Summary of “Once Upon a Time”

The poem Once Upon a Time by Gabriel Okara describes the change in human behavior from the past to the present. In the past, people were honest, sincere, and pure in their emotions. Their smiles were genuine, their laughter came from the heart, and their words were truthful.

With the passage of time, society became artificial. People learned to hide their true feelings and wear different “faces” for different situations. Smiles became fake, laughter became empty, and relationships lost their warmth. People now greet others politely, but without real affection.

The poet remembers his childhood innocence when he trusted everyone. But as he grew up, he was forced to learn hypocrisy to survive in society. Now, he feels unhappy with this false lifestyle and wishes to return to his innocent past. He asks his son to teach him how to smile and laugh genuinely again.

The poem strongly criticizes modern society’s hypocrisy and highlights the importance of honesty and sincerity.

Short Answer Questions (30–40 words)

Q1. What does the poet remember about the past?

Answer:

The poet remembers a time when people were honest and sincere. Their smiles were genuine, their laughter came from the heart, and relationships were based on trust and true emotions.

Q2. What does the poet mean by “wearing many faces”?

Answer:

“Wearing many faces” means people behave differently in different situations. They hide their true feelings and pretend to be friendly or polite for personal benefit.

Q3. Why does the poet feel unhappy in the present?

Answer:

The poet feels unhappy because modern life is full of hypocrisy. People show fake smiles, speak empty words, and lack true emotions, which makes life artificial and tiring.

Q4. How does the poet compare childhood with adulthood?

Answer:

Childhood is shown as pure, innocent, and honest, while adulthood is artificial and hypocritical, where people hide their true feelings to survive in society.

Q5. Why does the poet want his son to teach him?

Answer:

The poet wants his son to teach him how to smile and laugh genuinely again, as children are innocent and free from hypocrisy.

Long Answer Questions (120–150 words)

Q1. Describe the contrast between the past and present as shown in the poem.

Answer:

In Once Upon a Time, the poet presents a strong contrast between the past and the present. In the past, people were honest and sincere. Their smiles were real, laughter came from the heart, and relationships were based on trust. People meant what they said and showed true emotions.

In contrast, modern society is full of hypocrisy. People wear different faces for different situations. Smiles are fake, words are empty, and emotions are hidden. Relationships are based on selfish motives rather than genuine feelings. The poet feels sad about this change and longs for the innocence of the past. Through this contrast, the poet criticizes the false behavior of modern society.

Q2. What is the central idea of the poem “Once Upon a Time”?

Answer:

The central idea of the poem is the loss of honesty and innocence in modern society. The poet highlights how people have become artificial and hypocritical. Unlike the past, where emotions were genuine, modern humans hide their true feelings behind polite behavior and fake smiles.

The poet feels uncomfortable living such a life and wishes to return to the simplicity and purity of childhood. By asking his son to teach him genuine laughter, the poet emphasizes that innocence still exists in children. The poem conveys a strong message that true happiness lies in sincerity and honesty, not in pretending.

Q3. Explain the poet’s desire to return to innocence.

Answer:

The poet feels tired of the artificial behavior he has learned as an adult. He remembers his childhood when he was innocent, trusted everyone, and expressed emotions freely. As he grew older, society forced him to become hypocritical.

Now, he wishes to unlearn this false behavior and return to innocence. He asks his son to help him regain genuine laughter and honest emotions. This desire shows the poet’s deep dissatisfaction with modern society and his longing for a life filled with truth and simplicity.

Below are exam-ready MCQs, One-Word/Definition Questions, and Very Short Question-Answers from “Once Upon a Time” (Class 10th English). These are written in simple language and useful for Bihar Board / CBSE exams.

MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

Q1. Who is the poet of “Once Upon a Time”?

A. Wole Soyinka

B. Chinua Achebe

C. Gabriel Okara

D. John Donne

✅ Answer: C. Gabriel Okara

Q2. What does “laugh with their hearts” mean?

A. Loud laughter

B. Fake laughter

C. Genuine laughter

D. Childish laughter

✅ Answer: C. Genuine laughter

Q3. What do “ice-block cold eyes” symbolize?

A. Love

B. Kindness

C. Hypocrisy

D. Innocence

✅ Answer: C. Hypocrisy

Q4. What have people learned to wear in modern society?

A. Masks

B. Clothes

C. Faces

D. Glasses

✅ Answer: C. Faces

Q5. Whom does the poet ask to teach him?

A. His friend

B. His father

C. His teacher

D. His son

✅ Answer: D. His son

Q6. What has the poet lost according to the poem?

A. Wealth

B. Power

C. Innocence

D. Knowledge

✅ Answer: C. Innocence

Q7. What does “shake hands without hearts” suggest?

A. Friendly nature

B. Formal greeting

C. Dishonest behavior

D. Happiness

✅ Answer: C. Dishonest behavior

Q8. The poem mainly criticizes:

A. Childhood

B. Education system

C. Modern society

D. Poverty

✅ Answer: C. Modern society

Q9. Which stage of life is shown as pure?

A. Old age

B. Adulthood

C. Youth

D. Childhood

✅ Answer: D. Childhood

Q10. The tone of the poem is:

A. Humorous

B. Joyful

C. Sad and critical

D. Romantic

✅ Answer: C. Sad and critical

One-Word / Definition Questions

Q1. What is hypocrisy?

👉 Answer: Pretending to have feelings or qualities that one does not really have.

Q2. What is innocence?

👉 Answer: Purity and simplicity without deceit or false behavior.

Q3. What does “faces” refer to in the poem?

👉 Answer: False behavior or artificial personalities.

Q4. What literary form is “Once Upon a Time”?

👉 Answer: Poem

Q5. What does genuine mean?

👉 Answer: True and sincere.

Q6. What does childhood symbolize in the poem?

👉 Answer: Honesty and purity.

Q7. What is the theme of the poem in one word?

👉 Answer: Hypocrisy

Very Short Question-Answer (1–2 Lines)

Q1. What kind of smiles did people have in the past?

Answer: People had genuine and heartfelt smiles.

Q2. What happens to emotions in modern society?

Answer: Emotions become artificial and hidden.

Q3. Why does the poet feel tired?

Answer: He feels tired of fake behavior and hypocrisy.

Q4. What does the poet want to unlearn?

Answer: He wants to unlearn hypocrisy.

Q5. Who still represents honesty according to the poem?

Answer: Children represent honesty and innocence.

Q6. What change does the poet notice in society?

Answer: Society has changed from honest to artificial.

Q7. Why is childhood important in the poem?

Answer: It represents purity, truth, and sincerity.

Q8. What message does the poem give?

Answer: Be honest and sincere in life.

Here are 50 Objective Important Questions (MCQs) from “Once Upon a Time” – Class 10th English, prepared in a Bihar Board / CBSE exam pattern, with answers given clearly 👇

Once Upon a Time – 50 Objective Important Questions

MCQs

Q1. The poem “Once Upon a Time” is written by—

A. W. B. Yeats

B. Gabriel Okara

C. Chinua Achebe

D. John Keats

✅ Answer: B

Q2. The phrase “Once upon a time” refers to—

A. Future

B. Present

C. Past

D. Childhood

✅ Answer: C

Q3. People used to laugh—

A. loudly

B. politely

C. with their hearts

D. nervously

✅ Answer: C

Q4. “Laugh with their teeth” means—

A. True laughter

B. Loud laughter

C. Artificial laughter

D. Childish laughter

✅ Answer: C

Q5. The poet compares modern people to—

A. Animals

B. Actors

C. Teachers

D. Children

✅ Answer: B

Q6. “Faces” in the poem symbolize—

A. Beauty

B. Honesty

C. Masks / Pretence

D. Culture

✅ Answer: C

Q7. The poet shakes hands without—

A. eyes

B. trust

C. hearts

D. smiles

✅ Answer: C

Q8. “Ice-block cold eyes” suggest—

A. Love

B. Cruelty

C. Hypocrisy

D. Anger

✅ Answer: C

Q9. The poet misses his—

A. old age

B. youth

C. childhood

D. future

✅ Answer: C

Q10. Childhood in the poem represents—

A. weakness

B. ignorance

C. innocence

D. power

✅ Answer: C

Q11. Modern society is described as—

A. loving

B. honest

C. artificial

D. peaceful

✅ Answer: C

Q12. People smile in modern society to—

A. show love

B. hide feelings

C. express joy

D. welcome guests

✅ Answer: B

Q13. The poet feels tired of—

A. work

B. life

C. hypocrisy

D. poverty

✅ Answer: C

Q14. The poet asks his son to teach him—

A. reading

B. smiling

C. writing

D. speaking

✅ Answer: B

Q15. The poet wants to relearn—

A. anger

B. hatred

C. innocence

D. pride

✅ Answer: C

Q16. The poem criticizes—

A. children

B. teachers

C. modern society

D. education

✅ Answer: C

Q17. “Many faces” means—

A. beauty

B. personality

C. double nature

D. honesty

✅ Answer: C

Q18. The tone of the poem is—

A. humorous

B. joyful

C. critical

D. romantic

✅ Answer: C

Q19. The poet has learned to—

A. speak truth

B. lie politely

C. work hard

D. remain silent

✅ Answer: B

Q20. The poem mainly deals with—

A. love

B. childhood

C. hypocrisy

D. friendship

✅ Answer: C

Q21. People in the past were—

A. selfish

B. honest

C. clever

D. rich

✅ Answer: B

Q22. “Portrait smile” means—

A. real smile

B. forced smile

C. sad smile

D. childish smile

✅ Answer: B

Q23. The poet wants to unlearn—

A. kindness

B. truth

C. false behavior

D. discipline

✅ Answer: C

Q24. The poet feels—

A. proud

B. angry

C. disappointed

D. excited

✅ Answer: C

Q25. The poet uses “faces” as a—

A. simile

B. metaphor

C. alliteration

D. irony

✅ Answer: B

Q26. The poem belongs to—

A. Drama

B. Prose

C. Poetry

D. Novel

✅ Answer: C

Q27. The poem expresses longing for—

A. wealth

B. power

C. innocence

D. fame

✅ Answer: C

Q28. The poet feels modern life is—

A. simple

B. peaceful

C. tiring

D. joyful

✅ Answer: C

Q29. The poet learned hypocrisy from—

A. school

B. family

C. society

D. books

✅ Answer: C

Q30. The poet wishes to return to—

A. old age

B. present

C. childhood

D. future

✅ Answer: C

Q31. People greet each other with—

A. love

B. warmth

C. cold hearts

D. honesty

✅ Answer: C

Q32. The poet’s childhood was—

A. painful

B. innocent

C. artificial

D. unhappy

✅ Answer: B

Q33. The poem highlights loss of—

A. money

B. values

C. power

D. culture

✅ Answer: B

Q34. The poet wants to be—

A. rich

B. powerful

C. childlike

D. famous

✅ Answer: C

Q35. The poet believes children are—

A. foolish

B. innocent

C. selfish

D. weak

✅ Answer: B

Q36. “Hands without hearts” means—

A. kindness

B. cold behavior

C. love

D. friendship

✅ Answer: B

Q37. The poem is written in—

A. story form

B. dramatic form

C. free verse

D. sonnet

✅ Answer: C

Q38. The poet compares smiles to—

A. flowers

B. masks

C. portraits

D. mirrors

✅ Answer: C

Q39. The poet’s message is to be—

A. clever

B. polite

C. honest

D. silent

✅ Answer: C

Q40. The poet dislikes—

A. truth

B. childhood

C. hypocrisy

D. innocence

✅ Answer: C

Q41. The poem shows change in—

A. nature

B. society

C. weather

D. culture

✅ Answer: B

Q42. The poet uses memories to show—

A. happiness

B. contrast

C. pride

D. success

✅ Answer: B

Q43. The poet shakes hands as a—

A. tradition

B. habit

C. formality

D. symbol of love

✅ Answer: C

Q44. The poet feels the need to—

A. teach others

B. change society

C. change himself

D. escape society

✅ Answer: C

Q45. The poem criticizes which quality?

A. Love

B. Innocence

C. Pretence

D. Kindness

✅ Answer: C

Q46. The poet is unhappy because people—

A. are poor

B. are busy

C. are dishonest

D. are uneducated

✅ Answer: C

Q47. The poem ends with a desire for—

A. wealth

B. power

C. innocence

D. fame

✅ Answer: C

Q48. The poet believes honesty exists in—

A. adults

B. society

C. children

D. politicians

✅ Answer: C

Q49. The poem teaches us to—

A. pretend

B. lie

C. be sincere

D. avoid people

✅ Answer: C

Q50. “Once Upon a Time” mainly talks about—

A. love story

B. childhood memories

C. moral values

D. social hypocrisy

✅ Answer: D

Outro / Conclusion

Once Upon a Time – Class 10th English

In conclusion, “Once Upon a Time” by Gabriel Okara is a powerful poem that exposes the hypocrisy and artificial behavior of modern society. Through simple yet meaningful language, the poet shows how people have moved away from honesty, sincerity, and true emotions. The contrast between the innocent past and the false present makes the reader realize the loss of moral values in today’s world.

The poet’s desire to return to childhood innocence reflects a universal feeling shared by many. By asking his son to teach him genuine laughter and smiles, the poet highlights that purity and truth still exist in children. The poem finally teaches us an important lesson that real happiness lies in being honest and sincere, not in wearing masks to please society. We should try to bring back truthfulness and genuine emotions in our lives.