Judge — February 3, 1912 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page shows a portrait of a woman in profile holding a fluffy cat, accompanied by verse about reincarnation. The text reads: "If that fantastic theory's true / Of souls' exchange by transmigration, / To be a pet of one like you / I'd gladly try reincarnation." The satire is a **flirtation poem** typical of early 20th-century Judge magazine. The "fantastic theory" references Eastern religious concepts of reincarnation that were exotic and trendy among educated Western audiences. The joke is a playful compliment—the speaker suggests he'd accept reincarnation as a pet (cat) merely to remain close to an attractive woman. It's sentimental humor mixing pseudo-philosophical language with romantic flattery, mocking both the fashionability of Eastern mysticism and contemporary courtship conventions.