Lydia by Eugene Field

A guy is grumbling about how his girlfriend, Lydia, used to shower him with compliments all the time — that is, until another woman showed up and stole Lydia's focus. Now he feels overlooked and is moping around about it, but he's doing it in a hilariously over-the-top manner.

Mother Ilia is another name for Rhea Silvia, a character from Roman mythology. As a Vestal Virgin, she became the mother of Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome. She's well-known in the ancient world, making any attempt to compare yourself to her a hilariously over-the-top claim.

Yes. The Roman poet Horace wrote a number of odes to a woman named Lydia, exploring themes of love, jealousy, and rivalry. Field was well-versed in classical literature and clearly crafted this as a humorous, concise tribute to those poems.

"Flame" is a vintage term for someone you have a romantic interest in or a deep passion for. Referring to the rival as a "rival flame" suggests that she has sparked a new fire in Lydia's heart, taking the speaker's place.

It means the speaker was honored in poetry — Lydia would write or recite verses celebrating him. For a poet or literary figure, being praised in rhymes is the highest form of admiration, making the loss of that recognition even more dramatic.

It's amusing. Field is exaggerating the speaker's hurt feelings for laughs. The dramatic reference to a Roman myth and the cheeky comment about the rival being "silly" indicate that we shouldn't view the heartbreak too seriously.

Field frequently crafted short, impactful verses for newspaper columns, taking advantage of limited space to deliver a quick laugh or a strong emotional punch. With just one stanza, he could effectively establish the scenario and deliver the punchline.

Italicizing she captures the sneering tone or dramatic pause someone might use when speaking — suggesting that the rival is so annoying she doesn't even warrant a proper name. It's a subtle typographical means of expressing disdain.