Office Mottoes by Franklin P. Adams
The collection of humorous essays satirizes the corporate culture and office politics of the time, using irony and sarcasm to critique the mundane aspects of working life. It explores themes of bureaucracy, red tape, and the absurdities of office protocol, often targeting the pretensions and hypocrisy of middle management.
By Franklin P. Adams · First published 1923 · Genre: Poetry, Humor, Satire · 249 words
First lines
Motto heartening, inspiring, Framed above my pretty *desk, Never Shelley, Keats, or Byring* Penned a phrase so picturesque! But in me no inspiration Rides my low and prosy brow -- All I think of is vacation When I see that lucubration:
DO IT NOW
When I see another sentence Framed upon a brother's wall, Resolution and repentance Do not flood o'er me at all As I read that nugatory Counsel written years ago, Only when one comes to borry [Footnote: Entered under the Pure License of 1906.] Do I heed that ancient story:
TELL HIM NO
What this Textopian page supports
Office Mottoes is listed on Textopian as an essay by Franklin P. Adams, dated 1923 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: Franklin P. Adams
- Date: 1923 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Humor, Satire, Social Commentary
- Length: 249 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Office Mottoes by Franklin P. Adams
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form with rhyme and meter, characteristic of poetry.
- Humor — The tone is light-hearted and satirical, poking fun at common office mottoes.
- Satire — The text critiques and mocks the clichéd nature of motivational office slogans.
- Social Commentary — The work comments on societal norms and behaviors in office environments.
Tags
Humor · Satire · Workplace · Office · Politics · Social Commentary · American Literature · 20th Century Fiction · Short Stories · Anthology · Collection of Essays · Wit