Poetry Repeats Itself, from the Snapshots from "Puck" series (N128) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1888

This lithograph, "Poetry Repeats Itself" made circa 1870-1920 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. presents a tableau of ironic juxtaposition through its composition and the interplay of text and image. Dominating the scene is a disheveled figure clutching a bottle, juxtaposed with the loyal dog and the absurd advertising banner. The palette is muted, reinforcing a sense of bleakness. The text, a parody of Longfellow's "Excelsior," clashes with the commercial signage creating a tension between high culture and low marketing. The figure's posture, half-buried in the snow, is a visual metaphor for the degradation of poetic ideals within a capitalist framework. This use of parody reflects a broader cultural critique of commercialism's encroachment on artistic expression. The lithograph cleverly uses semiotic disruption to question the integrity of both poetry and advertising, suggesting that both can be corrupted by material interests. The stark contrast between the romantic aspirations of poetry and the mundane reality of commerce forces a reconsideration of cultural values.