Life, 1897-08-19 · page 5 of 20
Life — August 19, 1897 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "When Polly Was My Sweetheart" This page from *Life* magazine features a sentimental poem titled "When Polly Was My Sweetheart" with accompanying illustrations. The content appears to be nostalgic romantic verse rather than political satire—it recalls a past love named Polly, describing youthful courtship ("days went dancing by / As lightly as her laughter") and subsequent loss and longing. The two black-and-white illustrations depict couples in period dress in garden settings, emphasizing the romantic theme. The tone is wistful and melancholic, reflecting on how memory distorts past happiness. This is primarily literary content rather than satirical commentary. Without additional context about *Life* magazine's specific date and editorial stance, the "Polly" figure remains a generic romantic subject rather than an identifiable political or social reference.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
When Polly was my sweetheart And vowed she loved’me true, I had not guessed the lurking Of guile in eyes so blue; Or that a cheek can offer The same delicious rose To greet a wooer's coming, And speed him when he goes. When Polly was my sweetheart— When Polly Was My Sweetheart. Oh, idle time and blind! Its memories blow backward W HEN Polly was my sweetheart With every April wind The days went dancing by Until, if 1 could suffer As lightly as her laughter, The joy and pain of yore, Her mocking, or her sigh; I should not mind her making She brought the sunshine with her, A fool of me once more. A dawn of new delight, And left me when we parted To dream of her all night. When Polly was my sweetheart I knew no sordid care; What gold could keep its lustre Beside her glinting hair? And who was I, to envy The proudest of the land, That felt but lately on me The touch of her dear hand! comicbooks.com