The Wasp — 1891 — page 323: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **advertisements** for San Francisco businesses (insurance, hotels, bookbinders, photography supplies) rather than political satire. The left side contains a cartoon illustration accompanying **"Practical Poetry,"** a humorous dialogue between characters named "Young Mr. Siva-Week" and "Landlady." The sketch depicts what appears to be a landlady confronting a young man in his room, illustrating his poetic pretensions about poets soaring "above the people." The satire mocks the disconnect between romantic literary ideals and practical reality—a common theme ridiculing aspiring artists or intellectuals who neglect real-world responsibilities. The poem's subject is unclear without more context, but the overall tone suggests gentle mockery of young bohemian pretension.