Judge, 1924-01-19 · page 10 of 36
Judge — January 19, 1924 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This is a humorous poem by Edward W. Bamard illustrated with sketches of women. The satire targets male romantic fickleness and poor memory. The speaker recalls numerous romantic interests—Hildegarde, Polette, May, Selena, Lizette, Cora, and others—each described with flattering or critical detail. Yet when asked about "May," he cannot remember her at all, attributing this mental blank to "aphasia" (loss of memory/speech). The joke's twist: he eventually remembers he actually *married* May, who became his wife Maria after he was jilted by Sophia. The humor lies in the absurdity that he forgot the one woman important enough to marry while vividly recalling casual romantic interests. The sketches show various fashionable young women in 1920s-style dress and poses, illustrating the speaker's romantic past. The satire gently mocks masculine vanity, poor memory, and the tendency to blur together past relationships—while suggesting marriage itself can fade into a man's consciousness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Edward: py. I WELL remember Hildegarde ‘That summer at Sakonnet: Such blue eyes never had a bard On which to write a sonnet! And Polliette! Who could forget That very precious crony Who blithely ran me into debt At beautiful Mentone? Then there was May! Now who was May? Did some sad fate befall her? Or was her progress glad and gay? Somehow I can’t recall her! Selena was—I know it now— An early Pollyanna Who found fair fruit on every bough, In every desert manna. Lizette looked sweet enough to eat, I never knew one sweeter; But sometimes she was not discreet, And frequently a cheater. Then there was May! Now who was she? It’s strange [ can’t remember! My mind just here appears to be p As bare as bleak: December. T courted Cora all I knew, Her pretty hesitation T see as plain as I see you— 4 y She died of vacillation. ( Up through the dust of years is thrust / A nitid Anastasia; — q But May eludes me quite, ‘This must == | Be what they call aphasia! Ah, yes! Of course! T married May! When jilted by Sophia, And she from that so happy day Became my dear Maria! Of Us — a jf i a a“ comicbooks.com