Life, 1894-09-27 · page 6 of 16
Life — September 27, 1894 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 198 This page contains three distinct satirical items: 1. **"The End of Vacation"**: A poem mocking the melancholy conclusion of a seaside holiday, with humorous descriptions of last kisses and depleted finances. 2. **"Our Fresh Air Fund"**: A donation list showing contributions to a charitable cause, totaling $1,141.86. 3. **"At 11:58 P.M." and "A Hunting Term"**: Short humorous dialogues and sketches depicting working-class figures—one showing a poor man requesting five cents for cab fare, another showing someone "getting the brush" (being rejected). The main article discusses **"The Modern Poet as Hero in Fiction,"** analyzing Anthony Hope's novel "A Change of Air." It argues that contemporary poets are more practical and socially engaged than traditional romantic poets, better suited to modern society despite being less exclusively literary. The sketches use working-class characters for gentle social comedy typical of early 20th-century American humor magazines.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE END OF VACATION. H 2 has had his last waltz ; his last dip in the sea ; He has spooned his last spoon with his charm- ing Marie; He has vowed his last vow ; he has kissed his last kiss; He has drained the last dregs of a fortnight’s brief bliss. The landlord has taken his last dollar in, The waiters surround him with many a grin, As he sadly distributes his last dimes to them, And leaves for the city at 5,02 a. M. OUR FRESH AIR FUND. Previously acknowledged From prittie Cust, Fort Washingtor ul Proceeds of aC! . McE. and C. S.C. Proceeds of a Children’s Fair held by A. SF. B.A. C.W.,and M.T.W : c P, F.. ‘oger.. Montana 6.00 5.00 3.00 30 $4,141.86 AT 11:58 P.M. I | I'm awfully poor, you know. SHE: Well, I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I can lend you five cents for car-fare, if you will only let me. A HUNTING TERM. “GETTING THE BRUSH.” THE MODERN POET AS A HERO IN FICTION. [* his latest novel, “A Change of Air” (Holt), Anthony Hope has made the hero a young English poet of a very modern type. Your poet of the present decade isa man with more than one suit of clothes, and money in the bank. He is apt to be an athlete, and rather proud of his success with great ladies in the society way. He probably poses, but it is not in the old manner—he is too fond of the good things of OW WORK A PADDLIN’ THIS 'ERE RAFT WITH ME HANDS! I ONLY MAD soME Way O° RIG Now, 1 UP A MAST AN’ saIL, I couLD"— life for that. The one predominant trait that he has preserved from the old ideal of a poet, is a boundless conceit in his mission to tell the world something that it never knew before. Even ¢Aat he possesses in common with most young men of education who are just starting in a profession, P In short, the poet of the present decade is probably a much better fellow to have around the house, than the traditional poet was. He does not write as good poetry as the old boys who lived in seclusion and communed with Nature; but what does that matter? There is more good poetry in the world already than most diligent readers can digest. But there are not too many pocts! Society needs to have them around for the sake of variety in types ; moreover, the magazines and Sunday papers have to “ justify” columns and pages, and nothing looks better typographically in certain spots on a page than a nice bit of verse in irregular metre. There are some poets to-day who owe their success to a nice typographical sense which leads them to pro- duce just the right kind of “ filler: