Life, 1901-05-02 · page 13 of 22
Life — May 2, 1901 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains two satirical pieces: **"The Spring Poet"** (top): Mocks amateur poets seeking inspiration. A man asks what rhymes with "lamb," then gets literally struck by a cart—a visual pun on "inspiration" arriving as a physical jolt. The joke ridicules pretentious or struggling poets. **"By the Way They Hold Their Skirts"** (middle): A fashion satire showing six female character types (soubrette, literary woman, "sag corners," racetrack attendee, summer resort visitor, "bowery grab") identified by how they carry their skirts. This stereotypes women by social class and behavior. **"Handed Down" and "Progress"** (bottom): Two brief jokes. The first uses the biblical Eve to explain why women lie about their age—suggesting dishonesty is "natural" to women. The second presents a smug observation that modern schooling produces results "almost as well" as staying home and playing, satirizing progressive education's actual value. The overall tone is satirical humor targeting both pretentious poets and gender stereotypes common to the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE SPRING POET. + Now, let me see,” the poet sald, “ what word will rhyme with lamb?" And like an Inspiration came a jolt suggesting ramb! BY THE WAY THEY HOLD THEIR SKIRTS YE SHALL KNOW THEM SOUBRETTE. LITERARY. SAG CORNERS. aT THE Races. SUMMER RESORT. THE BOWERY GRAB. Handed Down. : Progress. RRIGGS: Where do you suppose women get their ¢¢ Ho’ are your children getting on at school?” propensity to lie about their ages? “ First-rate, Almost as well as if they had stayed Wey, from Eve, of course, That lady must at home and played.” on fall thirty when she was born. play’