Life — October 12, 1916 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page contains a humorous poem titled "Omnia Vanitas" (Latin: "All is Vanity") by F.G. Hartwick, accompanied by an illustration of a hanged ostrich. The poem satirizes human pretension through a narrative featuring prehistoric dinosaurs and early humans. It mocks various character types: a stoic philosopher, a self-made man, and an aspiring poet—all ultimately reduced to insignificance. The hanged ostrich illustration serves as dark visual commentary on the poem's theme that all ambitions and achievements are ultimately futile. The page concludes with a brief dialogue titled "What She Heard," where a visitor asks Mrs. Maloney about hearing detonations, likely referencing industrial explosions—a topical urban hazard of the period. The overall message critiques human vanity and the illusion of progress.