Life, 1922-03-30 · page 5 of 34
Life — March 30, 1922 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This poem celebrates Pan, the classical Greek god of nature and fertility, discovering modern urban life. The satire contrasts Pan's mythological essence with 1920s city chaos: he finds unexpected beauty in jazz, romance on park benches, and sensuality amid the noise and crowds. The accompanying illustration shows anthropomorphic pelicans in formal dress on a beach, apparently arrested for performing a "mussel dance"—a pun-based joke playing on the word "mussel" (shellfish) versus "muscle." The pelicans' human clothing and judicial arrest parody Prohibition-era law enforcement's zealousness in prosecuting even absurd offenses. Together, the poem and cartoon suggest how modern civilization constrains natural impulses and joy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Pan in Pandemonium Berton Braley For Pan saw lovers where the Park paths wander, And Pan saw lovers when the buses passed, And Pan heard voices that grew sweeter, fonder, On the wires that bind us in a network vast. AN went dancing up and down the city, No one saw him, cloven-hoofed and brown; went piping where the streets were gritty But his notes were swallowed in the roar of town. And Pan saw beauty that was Greek and slender, And Pan heard kisses in the hallways dim, And Pan saw glances that were blithe and tender, So the cruel city couldn't hoodwink him! Yet Pan's long ears were attuned to listen, And Pan heard whispers of the old Romance, And Pan’s bright eyes seemed to gleam and glisten, And there was laughter in his pagan glance. Pan wasn’t cozened by the jazz and clamor, Wise and canny was the slim brown god, Pan found the city full of love's glad glamour And danced back gaily to his sylvan sod! First Pelican: What's all this excitement about? Second Pelican: They've just pinched two scallops for doing a mussel dance. comicbooks.com