The Wasp — 1880 — page 331: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page presents a long narrative poem rather than a political cartoon. The illustration shows a figure in what appears to be a gloomy, shadowed archway or tomb-like structure. The poem "Gloomy Jarboe" tells of a melancholic person lamenting lost love and various sorrows—references to a departed mother, a sister who left, heartbreak, and imprisonment or confinement ("darkness," "iron shackles"). The repeated refrain emphasizes this figure's persistent despair. Without additional context about who "Jarboe" references or what specific events inspired this work, the satire's target remains unclear. It may mock sentimental Victorian poetry or critique a particular public figure known for pessimism, but the page provides insufficient evidence to determine the specific satirical intent beyond general commentary on melancholy and loss.