Life, 1921-12-01 · page 28 of 58
Life — December 1, 1921 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a mock-serious poem by Arthur Guiterman mourning the "death" of a doll named Ginevra Jane. The satire works on multiple levels: **The Poetry**: A deliberately overwrought elegy treats a worn-out doll's destruction as tragic loss, cataloging her sufferings (pins, being sat upon, spanking). The poem ironically elevates her to sainthood, then offers consolation by imagining her reborn as a fairy in Shakespeare's *A Midsummer Night's Dream* (referencing Titania and magical spirits). **The Cartoon Below**: Shows anthropomorphized animals (insects, a porcupine) in a whimsical forest scene. Mr. Bug's caption satirizes commercialism—a porcupine is renting itself out as a Christmas tree, treating even natural existence as a commodity. **Overall Point**: The page gently mocks both sentimentality toward children's toys and the crass commercialization creeping into holiday traditions. The contrast between romantic fairy-tale language and mundane reality ("Christmas Tree for hire") drives the satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
28 Elegy on a Virtuous Doll USHED be all sounds profane! Let great and small How fair she was! Her cheeks were roses rare, In silence grace our solemn funeral Her eyes were violets, red gold her hair. Where gentle wooden beasts of every kind How true she was! Though human passion errs, From Noah’s Ark in sad procession wind. What constancy in comradeship was hers! Let Biff and Cat attend in somber veil, Yet, Mistress of her Soul, no passing joys And Bim, the Pup, with crépe about his tail, Nor griefs untold could shake her equipoise. While they that knew her best her worth declare: Though pierced with poignant pins that searched her core, Oh, velvet Elephant! Oh, Teddy Bear! Though sat upon, though dragged along the floor, Lament Ginevra Jane, so pure, so good, Though vigorously spanked—enduring child, That pearl of Dollyhood! How amiably she ‘smiled! Mourn, mourn in all the panoply of woe! Yet shall we mourn her selfishly who know The happy fate of dolls as good as she That now on rainbow pinions, light and free, Disport in dewy glade or mossy dell With Cobweb, Mustard Seed and Ariel? No, let us think of dear Ginevra Jane Reborn to dance in blithe Titania’s train; For, wand in hand and silver star on brow, She is a Fairy now! Arthur Guiterman. Mr. Bug: It’s simply terrible how mercenary some folks are getting these days. Now here’s old Mr. Porcupine letting himself out as a Christmas Tree. comicbooks.com