Life, 1892-06-09 · page 5 of 16
Life — June 9, 1892 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 359 **"A Mis-Quotation"** depicts a romantic scene where a man quotes poetry to a woman. The dialogue reveals he's misattributed romantic verse to "Longfellow" when the woman questions whether Longfellow "really said that." The joke satirizes pretentious men who deploy famous literary quotations to impress romantic interests—a common Victorian-era courtship tactic. The woman's skeptical response ("Did Longfellow really say that?") unmasks his deception. **"The Lambs' Ditty"** is a humorous poem about how small amounts accumulate into larger sums—a metaphor for Wall Street finance and stock brokers ("the broker bland"). It mocks how minor financial transactions collectively build wealth. The smaller cartoons appear to be unrelated satirical illustrations typical of Life's format.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
+ LIFE: A MIS-QUOTATION. “ H AVE you never felt moods too subtile and evasive for the cold interpretation of unromantic prose?” asked Reginald De Spouter as he gazed eagerly into the tender face beside him. “For instance, can you imagine the infinite yearning which filled Longfellow’s soul as his mighty heart throbbed with, “A feeling of sadness and longing— A longing to be kissed, That resembles sorrow only As the rain resembles mist.’ ” “ Did Longfellow really say that?” she asked, as a crimson splendor more glorious than a Mediterranean sunset shot across her fair young Boston face. “I think those were his exact words,” replied the unblushing deceiver. “Then, if Longfellow said it,’ she murmured gently, “I—I think, Reggy, you might.” THE LAMBS’ DITTY. ITTLE drops of water, Little grains of sand, Make the mighty ocean And the pleasant land. Cent per cent. of water, Lots of gall and sand, Make the stocks of Wall street HAVILAND CHINA AT FIRST HANDS, And the broker bland. The Rooster: OW, YOU CAN LAUGH, BUT IF YOU'LL JUST TRAIN DOWN TO MY SIZE, I'LL BREAK YOUR NECK FOR You. comicbooks.com