Life, 1925-11-12 · page 7 of 41
Life — November 12, 1925 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains literary satire rather than political cartoons. The main piece, "Ballade of Poetic Disinclination," mocks writers who receive constant pressure from friends to compose poetry. The poem humorously portrays exasperated writers cursed by acquaintances demanding verses about trivial subjects—a yacht, the wind, romance. The cartoon below shows a dentist performing oral surgery, with caption humor playing on the patient's distressed expression ("A-A-A-AH"). The subsequent sections—"The Lawn" and "In Hollywood"—appear to be brief satirical dialogues. These mock different social circles' pretensions: the lawn section ridicules how various professionals romanticize a simple yard differently, while "In Hollywood" jokes about superficial celebrity relationships and shop-talk avoidance. The humor targets mid-century American social affectations and conversational clichés.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
17 € Ballade of Poetic Disinclination A GROUP of adulating friends Have I: and when we watch the hot Red ball of sunlight make rare blends With clouds at dusk, or when we spot A mother with her squalling tot, Some one is sure to tell me, “Nat” (That's not my name, but names are rot), “You ought to write a pome on that.” The writer, in his off-hour, tends To laugh and dance and gambol, not To prate technique....It all depends, Of course; if he should sense a plot, He'd write. But they, no matter what My mood, exclaim in voices flat: “Regard that blear-eyed drooping sot! You ought to write a pome on that!” Ah, tireless group: no pall descends On their grim orbs; from my warm cot They drag me, comatose. (Their .ends Are fine, but oh, their means!) I squat In wan abandon on their yacht And kear—above the wind’s shrill chat, Above the water's blithe gavotte— “You ought to write a pome on that.’ Betty: URRY UP, OR WE'LL BE LATE TO SUNDAY SCHOOL, I curse in language polyglot; Bobby: Wet, Gop 1s ETERNAL, I wish them in a yawning vat.... Muse, patrons are an awful lot: The Lawn You ought to write a pome on that. THE BOTANIST: What luxuriant grass! Simonetta. Tue Artist: Such a beautiful green color! Tue Purmosopner: A quiet place to think! , Tue Entomotocist: <A_ perfect haven for beetles! Tue Arcuitect: Man can't make undulations as graceful as those! Mr. Ep Wuitxins: If that long green grass wouldn't make stains; if the place wasn't so- quiet and sleepy, like; if there wasn’t so many of those pesky bugs around, and if it wasn't so doggone bumpy—that’d make a swell place to grease the car. ee 8 In Hollywood HARRIETT: Are you going to marry OPEN WIDER, PLEASE—WIDER. Dentist (inserting rubber gag, towel again? Patient: A-A-A-AH, and sponge): HOW’S ALL THE FOLKS? Eunice: Oh, let’s not talk shop! comicbooks.com