Life — January 25, 1912 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is a satirical poem by Wallace Irwin mocking Philadelphia's William Penn statue atop City Hall. The cartoon header depicts various figures interacting with the statue—angels, politicians, and what appear to be reform-minded characters. The poem satirizes the statue's prominent placement and its symbolic weight in Philadelphia politics. It references: - Penn's Quaker legacy ("thy Quaker") - Local political figures (mentions "Mike," "Blankenberg," "Tony Biddle") - Philadelphia institutions (Penrose, Broad Street) - A baseball game where the Athletics played the Giants, during which the statue apparently "spoke" and asked about the score—the poem's humorous climax The satire suggests the statue is a static, oversized monument to past ideals while current Philadelphia politics and life move messily around it. The joke hinges on the statue's apparent indifference being broken only by sports-related excitement.