Life — March 9, 1922 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Far-Sighted Muse" by Dorothy Parker This page presents Parker's satirical poem mocking optimistic platitudes about life. The poem ironically celebrates clichéd wisdom ("Everything's great, in this good old world") while parenthetical asides reveal harsh realities: poverty ("provide for the baby's shoes"), hunger and war, and financial struggle ("pay your bills"). The accompanying illustration shows two children gazing out a window at what appears to be a bleak landscape, with one saying "Come on, Kitty—I'll race ye." The image's starkness contrasts with the poem's surface cheerfulness, reinforcing Parker's biting critique of false optimism used to pacify the struggling poor during difficult economic times—likely the Great Depression era.