It is a free verse poem written by Gabriel Okara. Gabriel Okara used his writings to introduce the depth of African culture and imagery to the rest of the world. The poem itself shows the ardent love of the poet for his civilization. The poem brings up his grievances against the changes brought by colonization.
The poem appears to be a conversation between a father and son. Father recollects his childhood days when people used to be genuine even in their thoughts. The author says that people used to laugh with teeth and eyes but now people use only their teeth. He admits the fact that colonization brought mechanisms in relationships also.
He indicates that he prefers the past to the present. He believes the development has adversely affected the common culture of Africans. He urges his fellowmen to pause the present life and resume their past life. He also indicates that modern people are reluctant to welcome other people. In the past, people used to offer warm shake hands but nowadays they welcome only after assessing the wealth and status of the guest.
The speaker confesses that he also had to change his innocent behavior to adjust to the current flow of society. The poet also uses the simile ‘I have learned to wear many faces like dresses’ to indicate how easily he can change his attitudes according to the situation. He professes that he knows the lessons of deceiving people with smiling faces.
The poet says he needs a transformation where everything is genuine. The poet uses the word muting to indicate that the African culture is dead. Poet wishes to recreate his culture and society. He pleads with his son to teach him innocence.
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