Life — December 6, 1917 — page 26: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a 1917 Christmas greeting rather than political satire. The illustration depicts children playing amid war ruins—a bombed building and a large military cannon—suggesting the European theater of World War I, which America had recently entered (April 1917). The poem by Arthur Guiterman addresses the contrast between childhood innocence and wartime devastation. It expresses gratitude that children can still laugh despite the destruction ("ruins heaped where Hate has trod"), and encourages celebrating Christmas with "bravery and mirth" even as "Christmas daubs on snows no longer red"—a reference to blood staining the snow. The message is patriotic and morale-boosting: despite warfare's horrors abroad, Americans should maintain holiday joy and remember that hope persists through children's resilience. The tone is somber but ultimately hopeful about preserving civilian spirits during wartime.