Life, 1927-06-02 · page 15 of 46
Life — June 2, 1927 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical page presents silhouette portraits of famous literary figures with humorous commentary on their works and personalities. The cartoonist offers tongue-in-cheek critiques: Oscar Wilde receives credit for everyone's witticisms; Harriet Beecher Stowe is praised as a worthy mother figure; Byron, Shelley, and Keats are dismissed as self-absorbed poets; George Sand is mocked for her scandalous affairs and cross-dressing; Tennyson is criticized for being overly sentimental; and Charles Dickens is called "spurious and shoddy." The satire targets both the literary figures themselves and contemporary attitudes toward them—their reputations, moral character, and artistic merit. It's essentially literary gossip and critique dressed as irreverent commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
® Oscar Wilde F, with the literate, I am Impelled to try an epigram, I never seek to take the credit; We all assume that Oscar said it. Harriet Beecher Stowe HE wise and worthy Mrs. Stowe Is one we all are proud to know As mother, wife, and authoress,— Thank God I am content with less! D. G. Rossetti ANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI Buried all of his libretti, Thought the matter over,—then Went and dug them up again. Thomas Carlyle ARLYLE combined the lit’ry life With throwing teacups at his wife, Remarking, rather testily, “Oh, do stop dodging, Mrs. C.!” Life SZ Lrg’ b- Gye Vrew of Literature By Dorothy Lachex 929 The Lives and Times of John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and George Gordon, Lord Byron YRON and Shelley and Keats Were a trio of lyrical treats. The forehead of Shelley was clut- tered with curls, And Keats never was a descendant of earls, And Byron walked out with a num- ber of girls, But it didn’t impair the poetical feats Of Byron and Shelley, Of Byron and Shelley, Of Byron and Shelley and Keats. George Sand HAT time the gifted lady took Away from paper, pen, and She spent in amorous dalliance (Which is not frowned upon in France). Alexandre Dumas and His Son AL -THOUGH I work, and seldom cease, At Dumas pére and Dumas fils, Alas, I cannot make me care For Dumas fils and Dumas pére. 8 Walter Savage Landor PON the work of Walter Landor I am unfit to write with candor. If you can read it, well and good; But as for me, I never could. Alfred Lord Tennyson GHOULD Heaven send me any son, I hope he’s not like Tennyson. I'd rather have him play a fiddle Than rise and bow and read an idyll, George Gissing WHEN I admit neglect of Giss- ing, They say I don’t know what I'm missing. Until their arguments are subtler, I think I'll stick to Samuel Butler. Charles Dilew HO all shoddy Shall do it o'er my lifeless body. I heartily invite such birds To come outside and say those words! him spurious and TOTO TOT OT OTTO TATOO OTOL OTN comicbooks.com