Life, 1884-12-11 · page 18 of 28
Life — December 11, 1884 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical poem uses the "Humpty Dumpty" metaphor to mock male overconfidence in romance. The verses compare a man who's won a woman's affection to someone standing on a precipice—driven by an irrational impulse toward self-destruction. The poem's central joke: a man, satisfied with initial romantic success, grows impatient and "over-eager to make all secure." Instead of consolidating his advantage, he acts rashly ("pops the question," likely), destroying what he'd already gained. The "fundamental smash" is his romantic downfall. The accompanying illustrations show couples in courtship scenarios, emphasizing the tension between restraint and reckless pursuit. The satire targets male presumption—the assumption that winning favor guarantees continued success, and that hasty action secures romantic gains. The moral: desperation and impatience inevitably backfire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HUMPTY DUMPTY. HEY say that folks who perch upon the brink Of cafion deep or awful precipice A morbid impulse feel, as back they shrink, To jump the edge off into the abyss ; And now and then some feather-head will dash Over the cliff to fundamental smash. So often with a man when he has won ‘The passing favor of a maid demure, Not satisfied with having well begun, And over-eager to make all secure, Blind to his fate and heedless of his stops, With mad, spasmodic previousness he pops. Poor, dizzy fool: instead of winning more He only loses what he had before. comicbooks.com