Life, 1914-06-25 · page 11 of 45
Life — June 25, 1914 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct satirical pieces: 1. **"The American Eagle in Alaska"** (top left): A cartoon showing a scruffy, disheveled eagle labeled "SUGGEST HEAIM" (possibly "SUGGEST HELM" or a pun on "suggest" vs. leadership). The joke likely mocks Alaska's governance or American imperial pretensions there. 2. **"What's the Answer?" (top right)**: A cartoon of a woman asking a man about his hat being "on straight" at what appears to be a social gathering. This is likely satirizing upper-class vanity or social pretension. 3. **"Poetry on Sale Once More"** (main article): A humorous commentary comparing poetry publishing to financial markets—poets struggle initially, then suddenly profit. It mocks modernist poets using mechanical imagery and suggests they've become commercialized. The page exemplifies *Life's* satirical style targeting both politics and contemporary culture.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
a 7 aes THE AMERICAN EAGLE IN ALASKA Thanatopsis Ss° live that when thy summons comes to join The investigated caravan which moves To that imperious realm where each shall be A witness in the silent halls of Congress, Thou go not like the frenzied financier, Burning his books; but, hiding no secrets Poetry on Sale Once More Of some rascally trust, approach the stand r ated by competent observers that poetry is com- Like one who, having dined, serenely sips ing in again, and that for poets who are fairly His coffee, and talks about the weather. expert there is moncy once more in the poetry business. E.0.J. Poetry, after all, is not unlike the fluctuations of the steel and iron trade. For years one plugs along, always at a loss, then the market changes and we begin actually to earn the dividends we have been declaring during the years we strove to keep up the price of the stock. The same thing is also true of a comparison of methods, No doubt there is now, and always has been, too much watered poetry about. There have been poetry pools and scandalous attempts made at pyramiding hexameters. Heroics in some cases have been cornered and pentameters thrown on the market without rhyme or reason. Does the present flurry in poetry indicate a newer and steadier demand? Many modern poets undoubtedly believe this and have equipped themselves with all the lat- est improved machinery fo. turning it out. The old plowshares, made from branches of trees and run by an ox, used for tying up nziure thoughts, are now forgotten, Most of our poets ran by gasoline. You know when Noyes and Maseficlt are coming by the searchlight they throw out ahead, ‘WHAT'S THE ANSWER? “GEORGE, IS MY HAT ON STRAIGHT?” To Applicants 'ANTED—Some new laws of nature. They must be willing and obliging and ready to serve any new reformer who has a theory, or a panacca for the regeneration of mankind. The old laws of nature have all been exploited, are shopworn, and do not meet with the favor of the multitude. Any new law of nature that is willing to listen to hot-air exhortations, march in HIS FATHER WAS AN 1. W. W., HIS MOTHER AN ENGLISH parades, and take part in new movements, please apply at MILITANT this office any hour of the day or night. comicbooks.com