Life — October 18, 1917 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 618 The top cartoon satirizes Prussian militarism during World War I. It depicts a young Prussian soldier consumed by hatred—his face "dark with hate," twisted in anger. The accompanying poem by Kenneth L. Roberts shows him hating various groups ("folk to hate"), including those behind the front lines and even himself. The soldiers on the left represent the approved military establishment he's meant to emulate. The satire critiques how Prussian military culture systematized hatred as a virtue, warping youth into instruments of perpetual rage. The juxtaposition of gleeful officers with the tormented young soldier underscores the human cost of this ideology. Below are lighter pieces: personal correspondence about housing in Tobolsk and congratulations on Kerensky's marriage, reflecting post-Russian Revolution chaos.