Life, 1886-03-18 · page 12 of 16
Life — March 18, 1886 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers This page contains three distinct satirical pieces from *Life* magazine: **"The Two Magicians"** (illustrated top-left): A cartoon from a German publication showing two figures performing tricks—likely social or political commentary, though the specific reference is unclear without more context. **"Ballade of Foolish Questions"**: A poem mocking the tendency of certain writers to pose unanswerable, overly romantic questions about literary and mythological figures (Hafiz, Omar, the ships of Tyre, Napoleon). The refrain "Where are the ships of Tyre?" emphasizes the absurdity—these are unknowable or nonsensical queries. It's satire of pretentious, affected writing styles popular in the era. **Brief humorous items**: Including a child's prayer mixing religious devotion with "try, try again" (self-help clichés), and wordplay jokes about telegraph addresses and mishearing ("Jackson had a fight"). The page satirizes affectation, pompous writing, and linguistic confusion—typical *Life* magazine fare targeting educated readers familiar with classical literature and contemporary literary pretension.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE TWO MAGICIANS. (From Fliegende Blatter.) - BALLADE OF FOOLISH QUESTIONS. AFTER THE STYLE OF SEV- ERAL WORTHY INQUIRERS. USE, in what land un- known, In what eternal day, Sweet with the rose-scent blown Lives Hafiz, poet gay? Where are the pots of clay And where the potter's fire Which Omar sang alway? Where are the ships of Tyre? Where has the great Pan flown? Where do the dryads stray? | Where is the monstrous stone | Sisyphus could not stay? Where the A2gwan spray ? Where, we would fain inquire, The Ancient Mariner gray ? Where are the ships of Tyre? In what gold-belted zone, Safe from the world’s decay, Are the gold apples grown ? Where is the Culprit Fay? Where is the “One Hoss Shay"? | Where is Napoleon's sire? | Saves the answer, ch? Where are the ships of Tyre? ENVOY, Friends, in this song I may Question till you expire. “We give it up!” you 'll say. “Where are the ships of Tyre?” F.D.S. LITTLE four-year old, while praying one night, said: ‘ Please, God, bless papa | and. mamma, and make me a | good little girl, and if at first you | don't succeed, try, try again.” The cablegram is usually succinct—painfully so. But the verbal poverty of the message is more than counter- balanced by the lengthy exactness of the address. The dramatist’s cablegram is modeled after this plan: Moscow, July 15, 1885. “To Mr, James Montmorency Jenkins, No. 3159 and 3161 Fifth avenue, or Nos. 301 to 307 Wall street, New York, N. Y., U.S. A. “Yes. “George.” | “ Y father, sir, fought directly under General Jack- son.” “ How so, your father was never a soldier ?” “No, but he and Jackson had a fight once, and Jack was on top all the time.” A SHOCKING AFFAIR—The electric battery. ALL A-DRIFT—After the snowstorm. comicbooks.com