Life — June 16, 1921 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Desire of the Moth for the Star" This is a humorous poem by James J. Montague published in *Life* magazine. The piece gently mocks golfers' aspirations versus their actual abilities. The poem contrasts what the speaker *wishes* to accomplish on the golf course—long, powerful drives with perfect form—against the reality of his mediocre performance. He dreams of hitting 200+ yard drives and making graceful shots, but admits his best actual distance is "a hundred and thirteen feet." The satirical conceit compares the golfer's unrealistic ambitions to a moth's futile desire to reach a star. The decorative border illustration shows a pastoral landscape, reinforcing the leisure-sport context. This is gentle satire of recreational golf culture and human overconfidence in one's abilities.