Life, 1902-01-09 · page 3 of 20
Life — January 9, 1902 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page from *Life* magazine features a romantic poem titled "To Her Picture" by Frank Dempster Sherman, accompanied by an elegant charcoal sketch of a young woman in classical dress. The content is not satirical or political—it's a sincere literary contribution. The illustration depicts an idealized female figure with flowing hair and draped garments, rendered in a romanticized style typical of early 20th-century aesthetics. The poem celebrates youthful beauty and romantic love, addressing the subject as a "bloom" and expressing admiration for her appearance. This represents *Life*'s literary and artistic content alongside its better-known humor and satire. The page demonstrates the magazine's broader cultural scope beyond political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
To Her Picture. Dk débutante, to you I sing Simply because I love the Spring And every other lovely thing So fresh and youthful: Lhave no doubt the artist knew Such gladness when his pencil drew This pleasing counterfeit of you, Divinely truthful. A bit of bloom you seem to me; A blossom, born for melody ; A bud, you cannot help but be— ‘That is your duty : The happy roses at your side Look up into your face with pride Of fragrant kinship, satisfied To share your beauty. . Indeed, your cheeks and lips and nose Are all suggestive of a rose— A bud, of course—and I suppose, ‘When you are older— A very little older—some Enraptured human bee will come To woo and be allowed to hum Above your shoulder, I pay my homage with a song, Before from the admiring throng A lover comes—it won't be long Ere he has found you!— To seek your sweet companionship, To steal the honey from your lip, And then, at last, to gently slip An arm around you. I think you hear him coming now, Such happiness lights up your brow? Ready to greet Love! That is how The artist drew you. Dear girl, I will not bid you stay: My motto is: In Youth's glad day, Gather the rosebuds while you may, I wish J knew you. Frank Dempster Sherman, comicbooks.com