Life, 1922-06-22 · page 3 of 34
Life — June 22, 1922 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents a poem satirizing expensive hothouse flowers sold as luxury items, contrasted with native American wildflowers available cheaply ("five dollars per"). The accompanying sketch depicts a social scene at what appears to be an upscale waterfront dining establishment. A woman admires an elaborate floral arrangement while two men (one serving) and another woman observe. Her dialogue—praising the view and the meal's quality—suggests she's being treated to an expensive outing. The satire targets wealthy consumers' pretension: they purchase rare, costly hothouse blooms and dine expensively to appear refined, when affordable native alternatives exist. The poem's final couplet emphasizes this absurdity—paying premium prices for flowers that lack the genuine beauty of freely available American wildflowers. It's social commentary on class performance and wasteful consumption among the affluent.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Woodland Song Tu hothouses’ offerings, costly and rare, The purple-eyed violet, fragrantly cool, Cannot ape the forget-me-not’s blue ; Spends its beauty extravagantly. Blooms forced to perfection can’t hope to compare The waxen-white lily that sleeps on the pool With the lowly anemone’s hue. Gives its loveliness lavishly free. The humble wild rose, unassuming and meek, Their glorious petals the poppies unfold Must have stolen the setting sun's glow; For whoever may happen to pass, The blushes which play o’er its delicate cheek And Nature, made mad by the buttercups’ gold, Are of tints that no palette may know. Flings it wantonly over the grass. No matter how lovely these flowers may be, But my favorite blossoms, I'm here to aver, Gardenias and orchids look better to me. Are American Beauties at five dollars per. She (admiring the view): Tve never enjoyed anything so much in my life. It’s simply wonderful. “No accounting for tastes. Mine isn’t half cooked.” comicbooks.com