Once Upon a Time

The poem shows that people once

The poem shows that people once behaved naturally and honestly, but now they often hide true feelings behind formal behaviour. The father wants to ret

Modern people are shown as smiling

Modern people are shown as smiling without warmth, shaking hands without sincerity, and speaking polite words without meaning them. Their actions and

The father stands for the modern

The father stands for the modern, artificial period, while the son stands for the old, honest, and natural period. By speaking to his son, the poet is

Satire uses humour

Satire uses humour, irony, sarcasm, or exaggeration to criticise something. The poem is a satire on modern society because it exposes insincere behavi

The father says he has learned

The father says he has learned to wear many faces such as homeface, officeface, streetface, hostface, and cocktailface. These are metaphors for changi