The Wasp — 1914 — page 153: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains a sentimental letter signed by "James Burnham," addressed to Miss Elizabeth Nash. The letter expresses romantic devotion through flowery Victorian language, praising her virtues and declaring eternal remembrance of their time together. The satire appears to mock the overwrought sentimentality and self-deception of poetic expression. The concluding narrative passage emphasizes the irony: Burnham recognizes his own letter as theatrical posturing—acknowledging that as "a poet" he can "make yourself believe anything—for a little while!" The joke targets the gap between sincere emotion and affected literary convention; the writer admits his elaborate protestations of devotion are essentially performance rather than genuine feeling. This satirizes both romantic pretension and the literary affectations of the era.