Life, 1919-10-09 · page 44 of 48
Life — October 9, 1919 — page 44: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece mocks the idea of letting famous American poets loose with dangerous power. It references Gabriele D'Annunzio, an Italian poet-adventurer who recently seized the city of Fiume (now Rijeka) in a nationalist military action—a real, shocking event of 1919. Life jokes: what if American poets Amy Lowell and Walt Mason commandeered an airplane and attacked Mexico City? Would the Senate permit such chaos? The cartoon illustrates the absurdity by showing a poet's desk transformed into a weapon of mass distraction—his writing so consuming that the user becomes oblivious to real life (stepping on friends, ignoring headlines). The "BANG!!" headline emphasizes the explosive, disruptive power of poetic obsession. The satire critiques both the dangerous romanticism of artistic genius and the impracticality of poets dabbling in real-world politics. It's humorous anxiety about where artistic passion, unmoored from responsibility, might lead.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
hl l= Big Chances with Poets zive it back? Take no chances with I P is no news that pocts are impulsive poets. Stop, look, listen! mn “Bayer Cross” and at times dangerous, but the ex ploit of D'Annunzio at Fiume makes Passé i On Cenuihte Aspirin one wonder how long it will be safe da velatnied tliat sath coal to let Amy Lowell and Walt Mason go the nnpleasantness of t --Wall Street Jonrna loose in the land. Just suppose they commandeered an airplane: and we HY bring up such an old offender, What then? Would the Senate let ns tye ERARES w2, Bayer Tablets of Aspirin Taira eres ity Always ask for genuine “Bayer Tablets of Aspirin” in an unbroken Bayer package. The “Bayer Cross” marked on each tablet and on each package identi- fies the truc, genuine “Bayer Tablets of Aspirin.” Handy tin boxes of 12 tablets. When you -hut the rell top 0 it sounds like a seventy-five dollar tire— peer eratian hea npr ee When you take the Express Elevator on the first leg of your trip home- Manufacture of Monoaceticaci- and Lord, how she crawls— dester of Salicylicacid. When you light a cigarette for the street, and read the headlines without seeing them,—and walk over your best friend’s shoeshine and don’t apolo- gize—What are you thinking about? Golf—and a clear fairway? Your motor boat—and every ' Your car—and nobody's dust? knot she'll stand? Have a Care, Mr. Palmer! $s much profiteer- other things as in foodstufls don’t believe it, go out and ry to buy some clothes.—Attorney- deneral AL Mitchell Palmet. 18 The jlay—and a little supper? — Some place to dine and danc A swift game of auction bridge? Something to laugh over? For that aching void between the time you want it, and the time you can get it—how about reading about it in the magazine covering all the leisure O the high cos: of clothing has bee interests of the man who knows enough to have them— Hy diseoverc We felt that t would he. But sil the heart of the world is breaking, why dwell apes Every Issue Conta | the petty annoyances of a mere nation GOLF: Tw rages, ae! FIVE issues of Vanity Fair for 31 temporarily inconvenienced hy | “ a rel tent ‘of action “ —SIX if you mail this coupon now of clothes and the wherewithal to them? This is no time for sensat morons AND MOTOR a nrrnnrneeanmnnene New models, 2 3 VANI I Y lism in public office, Mr. Palmer. thee “ings "and so) of be we VANITY PAIR, 19 W. 44th St. New York Ci d boats. Touring > F IR THE Sract: sioes Ew ‘. ‘Oo who a! how much, in i ae s to you in time (OR) foo. New York soat- rc CONDE NAST, Pubtisher e dollar on receipt of your bill FINANCE: ukeser FRANK CROWNINSHIELD, he Postal Zone Lew makes necessary om money. Afiee-bours Feditor ; gdditional postage charge of Sc west 320 Pages ie SEE HIPA by Winfield Scott Hall, MLD., PRD. CLOTHES FOR MEN: 35eacopy 83a year y SEX FACTS MADE, THe ARTS: Hithbrow, Reel clothes 01 What every yount nat not bad to take, ii alee : $1.00 Postpaid Mailed im Feaeh. mot wy the mite, i ‘AMERICAN PUB. CO. Live, 10-09-15 the Prohibited comicbooks. Com