The Wasp — 1896 — page 967: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The illustrated poem "At the Opera" depicts a fashionable woman at the opera house, emphasizing her elaborate feathered hat and theatrical appearance. The accompanying verse mocks the pretense of high society, suggesting that despite her refined setting, the woman's emotional displays—particularly her tears—are performative rather than genuine. The poem sarcastically contrasts her pale face and affected melancholy with hints that she's simply performing for attention ("only lies"). The reference to a "jilted lover" adds romantic drama to the satire. This appears to be social commentary on the artificiality of upper-class theater-going culture, where attendees are as much performers of wealth and sophistication as the actors on stage.