Life, 1916-08-24 · page 25 of 42
Life — August 24, 1916 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a lighthearted poem celebrating picnics as romantic and social occasions. The verse contrasts two groups: romantic couples ("two hearts as one") and those focused on food ("the grosser sort are eating"). The accompanying illustrations show a pastoral picnic scene with families and young people gathered outdoors near trees and natural settings. The poem's humor lies in its mock-romantic tone—elevating simple picnic pleasures (sandwiches, pies) to quasi-spiritual experiences while gently mocking both romance ("twosing") and gluttony. The reference to "chaperones are snoozing" suggests young courting couples taking advantage of unsupervised moments—a mild social commentary on dating customs of the era when chaperones were expected to supervise young unmarried people.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
H, sandwiches of ham and chicken ! What soul so dead that does not quicken At thought of you—and pies and tarties And all the joys of picnic par- ties! Behold, beneath the leafy bower, The Age of Gold again in flower! For here two hearts as one are beating, And there the grosser sort are eating. Where green are trees and soft are mosses, Forget the world, its cares and crosses! For all the chaperones are snooz- ing, And all the younger folk are twosing. Arthur Guiterman,