Once upon a time, son,
they used to laugh with their hearts
and laugh with their eyes:
but now they only laugh with their teeth,
while their ice-block-cold eyes
search behind my shadow.
Question 1: How does the speaker describe the laughter of the people from the past compared to the present?
Answer: In the past, people used to laugh with their hearts and eyes, but now they only laugh with their teeth.
Question 2: What do the "ice-block-cold eyes" suggest about the people's emotions in the present?
Answer: The phrase "ice-block-cold eyes" suggests that the people's emotions in the present are cold and distant, lacking warmth or genuine feeling.
Question 3: What contrast does the speaker make between the past and the present in terms of human connection?
Answer: The speaker contrasts the genuine laughter and warmth of human connection in the past with the superficial and cold interactions of the present, where people's eyes seem to search for something beyond the speaker's shadow.