Life, 1923-04-05 · page 7 of 40
Life — April 5, 1923 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is a whimsical spring poem by Max Lief, illustrated with line drawings of nudes and nature scenes rather than political satire. The title humorously treats spring as a commercial "model," suggesting it's an annual product release. The poem celebrates spring's arrival through romanticized imagery: nymphs dancing through forests, Pan piping, flowers blooming, and lovers' vows. The illustrations show classical nude figures frolicking in pastoral settings—consistent with *Life* magazine's sophisticated art and literary culture of the 1920s era. This appears to be light satirical commentary on how spring is commercially packaged and anticipated annually, wrapped in classical artistic language and imagery. It's essentially celebrating youthful romance and renewal rather than critiquing specific politics or figures.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
erent here in all her splendor, Rose-lipped maiden, shy and slender. Sparrows chirp and robins carol, Nature dons her green apparel. Skies no more are drear and cloudy, Sunbeams wake you with a “Howdy!” This the equinox’s greeting: Laugh and love for Time is fleeting. 4) the birds are tweet-tweet-tweeting, (pre rrrring is here! ron. hill K€ i ley Trip the wood. nymphs’ corps de ballet. Pan, through forest roaming, lends a Hand and pipes a gay- cadenza. Lovers’ vows are softly spoken Only to be rudely broken. Now’s the time, when flowers burgeon, 3 ~ Freshmen start their cosmic urgin’. Hail to April—blushing virgin! sfSpr-r-r-r-ring is here! ye Brooklets babble, purl, and gurgle. Butterflies sweet nectar burgle. Kissed by soft, caressing zephyrs, Branches sway o'er drowsy heifers. Heigh and ho for wonders vernal! Ho and heigh for Youth Eternal! Bards grve praise to God and Allah; Others sing of Maude and Molla. Trarla-la-la, la-la-la-la, Spr-rr-r-ring is here! Max Lief. comicbooks.com