Life, 1920-05-13 · page 30 of 52
Life — May 13, 1920 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two satirical pieces reflecting post-WWI American concerns: **"Ballade of Ballade-Making"** (left): A humorous poem about the difficulty of writing a ballade (a poetic form) while navigating contemporary restrictions. The poet struggles to find rhymes while avoiding German words (due to ongoing post-war tensions with Germany) and respecting Prohibition ("the Volstead Act"). References to "H.C.L." (likely the High Cost of Living, an economic concern of the era) show how mundane wartime/postwar constraints invaded even artistic endeavors. It's satirizing how pervasive these restrictions had become in American life. **"The Business President Meets His Cabinet"** (right): Depicts a President placing his watch on the table, announcing he's too busy with revenue legislation to meet with his Cabinet for sixty days—only Tuesdays available. This satirizes executive detachment and suggests the President treats Cabinet meetings as secondary to fiscal concerns, a dig at administrative priorities. **"Pets: Ancient and Modern"** (bottom): Two illustrations contrasting historical and contemporary pet-keeping, though specific satire is unclear from the visible portions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Ballade of Ballade-Making BALLADE would I write quite faultlessly. While Spring is standing on the flowering line. Let's see: The verses rhyme alternately Until we reach the fifth, and then we twine The other way around. I have it. Fine! And to proceed: “O Spring, so wild and free, And jocund, like the dancing Columbine "— T need another word to rhyme with me Since we are still at war with Germany, 1 must not use a German word like s: And with the Volstead Act we must agree, So: “Spring, my blood doth flow with kickless wine "— i twist again. If H. C. L. would sign The treaty, then my task would casier be “Tb RATHER BE DEAD THAN LOOK AT LIFE THE WAY HE ix From Chesterton's quaint verse I'd cop a line— s I necd another word to rhyme with me. Business The Business President Meets His Cabinet The second stanza's done. When number three HE President placed his watch face upward on the table Is finished, and when L’Envoi’s whim doth shine, Gentlemen,” he began; “I am happy’ t6 report thit We may begin with a clean slate. I have just come from a con- ference with the leaders of both parties in the Senate, and am J shall be gone to Inns of Jollity, And seck therein the wherewithal to dine. “Fanfare of harebell, scent of jessamine, happy to announce that we have arranged for a complete budget And wild arbutus, hidden timidly, for next year. You will be free now to go ahead with con- Spring, hast thou brought within those arms of thine SRS WORE IE FeO dem, I need another word to rhyme with me. “Now, just one more detail. To-morrow I must begin real work on the prospective revenue legislation. It will he neces sary for me to go on without interruption until I have com- Prince, we shall use those words: pine, y and brine, pleted it, so I shall not be able to meet the Cabinet for, perhaps, Altho’, methinks, we use them needlessly sixty days. However, I shall be pleased if the Cabinet will meet And, praise be, we know the final line in this room every Tuesday for the discussion of any suhj I need another word to rhyme with me. that require counsel. I'll be on hand when you want me Edwin M. Stanton let us begin LDulavent Pets ANCIENT AND MODERN comicbooks.com