Life — June 4, 1925 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Life" Commencement Page Analysis This is a commencement-themed literary page from *Life* magazine featuring a poem by Roger Burlingame titled "Recommencement." The poem nostalgically imagines revisiting college experiences—walking under elms, attending graduation ceremonies, dancing at proms. The accompanying illustration, captioned "Desire Under the Elms," depicts two young men sitting on a fence beneath trees, observing a young woman reading alone. The image plays on the poem's romantic nostalgia about college life and youthful romance. The page appears designed for spring/graduation season. The title references a famous play (*Desire Under the Elms* by Eugene O'Neill, 1924), adding literary sophistication to what is essentially sentimental commentary on college memories and lost youth—typical *Life* magazine fare blending humor, literature, and social observation about American life.