Life, 1908-12-03 · page 29 of 68
Life — December 3, 1908 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents "The Ballade of Passing Loves," a melancholic poem by Anne Peacock using the formal French ballade structure. The text explores love's impermanence across social classes—from princesses and beggars to kings and gypsies—arguing that all romantic love eventually fades ("Not any love will live always"). The three pen-and-ink sketches on the left depict couples in intimate moments, illustrating the poem's theme of transient romance. The large photograph labeled "THE CHILDLESS HOME" shows what appears to be a somber domestic interior with figures, likely reinforcing the poem's meditation on love's ultimate emptiness or failure. For modern readers, this reflects early 20th-century *Life* magazine's sophisticated literary content—mixing high-art poetry with illustration to explore romantic disillusionment, a common theme in that era's writing. The message is essentially: all love is temporary, regardless of social station.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
0090 (4% G00 The Ballade of Passing Loves = comes for every mood of man, great wise god provides for all— Gay loves that y take who can, Stray loves that wait not beck or call, Wild loves that leap nor fear to f Mild loves that bless like sun days— Yet one sure end none may forestall, Not any love will live always. Strange loves, feigned loves, and loves that ban With 7 t kiss the soul to thrall, Loves in a brake where nymphs once ran, Loves giving little, taking all; Light loves that play at toss-the-ball, Spring loves sweet born of nights in Mays— 623 That last not ‘til the first leaves fall— Not any love will live always. The princess loves the beggar man, call. began, A shepherd's pipe 10 queen Kings gypsies loved since tir And Thais, Lais, Sap all Have learned that love must sometime pall For hearts are reeds the great god That in the end one fate befall— Not any love will live always LEXVor Prince, he who heeds the great god's For his brief joy with sorrow Grave loves, brave loves, loves on} all— Net any love will live always. Anne Peacock TNE CHILDLESS HOME comicbooks.com