Life, 1922-11-16 · page 32 of 36
Life — November 16, 1922 — page 32: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This humorous poem satirizes poor literary taste. A narrator encounters a whale and attempts to impress it by discussing esteemed artists, musicians, and serious authors. The whale, however, dismisses these cultural figures with scorn and instead enthusiastically praises popular, commercially successful but critically dismissed writers: Harold Wright, Elinor Glyn, Ethel Dell, and Zane Grey. The joke relies on a biblical reference—"pearls before swine"—suggesting that refined culture is wasted on those incapable of appreciating it. By making the whale represent lowbrow tastes, the poem mockingly compares readers of pulp fiction and romance novels to animals lacking refined sensibility. The title's wordplay (whales have large tongues but "no sense of taste") reinforces this critique of mass-market literary preferences versus elite cultural standards—a common modernist-era anxiety about democratized publishing.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
This one extra process gives a delightful quality that cannot be duplicated ae > TIPE: - Pearls Before Whales Although it has a huge tongue the whale has very little sense of taste. —News Item NE evening as I strolled the beach Beyond the houses’ pale, I chanced (the tide was rather low) Upon a monstrous whale. “Good evening, whale,” I said to him, He answered me in kind; I said, “I'll visit with you—what?” He said he didn’t mind. We both agreed the day was warm, Although the warmth was pleas- ant; On topics of the past, we touched, The future and the present. I spoke of people, much esteemed, That wrote or sculped or painted; With scorn, indifference and hate The whale’s replies were tainted. The famed musicians fared as ill— I argued until blue; At last, “O precious whale,” I cried, “What does appeal to you?” “T like the books of Harold Wright,” The great behemoth said, “T like E. Glynn and Ethel Dell, Zane Grey can knock me dead. “I like the girls that Fisher draws, The novels of Hall Caine; Gene Stratton-Porter’s tales, I like, And good old Dr. Crane.” At that I made him understand By dint of forte shouting, I must be off, and off I went, But left the whale still spouting. To-day, if I should meet a whale, I'd turn aside in haste; Although their tongues are very large, They have no sense of taste. H.W. H. Information That Should Be In All College Catalogues Numser of sandwich counters within a cigarette’s distance from campus. Time-tables of trains from near- est city, between midnight and dawn. House party facilities of leading fraternities. Garage accommodations in the village. Nearness of local beer. Number of times instructors are permitted to call on a student to recite in any semester. Number and capacity of motion picture theatres and whether mana- gers enjoy rough house. “Che Comfort Route” ROYAL MAIL De luxe cruises to the WEST INDIES Jan. 24 and Feb. 24 WO Delight- ful Cruises among these islands of en- chantment on the S.S. ORCA, 25,500 tons dis- placement. Es- pecially built for service in the tropics, The newest, largest and most luxuri- ous steamer en- gaged in West Indies cruises. Visits to Nassau, Havana, Jamaica, Colon (Panama Canal),La Guayra, Trinidad, Barba- dos, Martinique, St. Thomas, San Juan andBermuda. Rates $250 up. Ask for Booklet L-3 Bermuda Only two days’ sail on the palatial $.S. ARAGUAYA, 17,500 tons displacement. The largest ship sailing to Bermuda. Wonderful golf, tennis, bathing, fishing — weekly sailings—no passports required. Ask for Booklet L4 Europe Fortnightly sailings to Cherbourg, Southampton and Hamburg by famous "O" steamers. 84 Years of Royal Mail Service THE ROYAL MAIL STEAM PACKET Co. SANDERSON & SON, Inc., Agents 26 Broadway, New York 607 Boylston St., Boston T17 West Washington Street, Chicago No Dressing Table is complete without the best Eau de Cologne's perpetual delight UTI)® Faogne Not without reason has No. 4711 Eau § de Cologne reigned supreme ever since the time of Napoleon. Its charming odor and refresuing virtue appeal instantaneously to sens¢s jaded by the social round, or fatigued vy sickness. To persons of refinement it is literally 2 spiritual necessity. a Made in America by the makers of No. 4711 White Rosé Glycerine Soap and No. 4711 B Bath Salts. MULHENS & KROPFF, 25 West 45th St., N. ¥. Made in U. 8. A. comicbooks.com