satire examples figures of speech

Satire Definition

What is satire? Here’s a quick and simple definition:

Satire is the use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Public figures, such as politicians, are often the subject of satire, but satirists can take aim at other targets as well—from societal conventions to government policies. Satire is an entertaining form of social commentary, and it occurs in many forms: there are satirical novels, poems, and essays, as well as satirical films, shows, and cartoons. Alec Baldwin's impersonation of Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live is an example of satire.

Some additional key details about satire:

Satire is a bit unusual as a literary term because it can be used to describe both a literary device and the specific genre of literature that makes use of the device. Just like a comedy is comedic because it uses comedy, a satire is satirical because it uses satire. For most of this entry, the word "satire" will be used refer to the device, not the genre.
Satire often coincides with the use of other literary devices, such as irony , malapropism , overstatement , understatement , juxtaposition , or parody .
Though most satires seek to draw laughter, there are many unfunny or even dark examples of satire, such as George Orwell's Animal Farm or Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho , which criticize communist societies and capitalist societies, respectively.

How to Pronounce Satire

Here's how to pronounce satire: sa -tire

Satire as Literary Device vs. Satire as Genre

There are many novels, plays, and other works of literature that fall into the genre of satire. These works are all characterized by their consistent and sustained satirical attacks on their various targets. For instance, Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn satirizes the hypocrisies of pre-Civil-War society in the American South, especially its traditions of racism and slavery.

But satire is not only found in literature that falls into the broader genre of satire. To the contrary, satire is a device that can be used in many types of writing and art. For instance, a 2017 production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in New York City came under criticism for costuming Caesar (who gets assassinated in the play) in a business suit and bright red tie that closely resembled the standard garb of President Donald Trump. While the play Julius Caesar is not itself a satire, this costuming decision added an element of satire to the play, since it equated the despotic almost-Roman-emperor with an American president whom some have criticized as having tyrannical impulses of his own.

Satire and Humor

Satirists use humor not only to to ridicule their subjects, but also to gain the attention and trust of their readers. While readers might not always respond to a highly-conceptual, nuanced argument for change laid out in a dense manifesto or academic essay, they can easily and enjoyably recognize societal problems targeted by satirical writing. Some scholars have argued that the popular appeal of satire helps in bringing about actual social reform, since the use of humor makes it easier to disseminate political and societal critiques more widely.

However, humor is not a required element of satire. George Orwell's Animal Farm is one of the more famous satires ever written, but few people find humor in it—and in fact, many people find it to be a deeply unsettling and not-at-all funny book.

Types of Satire

Traditionally, scholars have divided satire into two main categories: Horatian and Juvenalian satire. These labels are derived from the names of the renowned Roman satirists Horace and Juvenal, who originated each type. A third, less common type of satire is Menippean satire, named after Menippus, the Greek cynic and satirist. These labels are more of a classical framework for literary critics rather than a strict set of guidelines that all modern satires must follow, but they are worth reviewing because they can help make clear the wide variety of forms that satire can take.

Alexander Pope's poem The Rape of the Lock is an example of Horatian satire that gently mocks the English upper class for its vanity and dim-wittedness.
George Orwell's Animal Farm is a Juvenalian satire that isn't particularly funny. It ridicules communist governments for their total lack of equality.
Though Alec Baldwin's portrayal of President Trump on Saturday Night Live can have its lighter moments, the bulk of his satire pointedly criticizes Trump, perhaps with the intent of shaming the president into altering his course or of mobilizing citizens to work against Trump's goals and policies.
Menippean satire is less common than Juvenalian or Horatian satire, though it's the oldest type of satire. Menippean satires target mindsets or worldviews instead of targeting specific people. There is considerable overlap between Horatian and Menippean satire, since both often target people's stupidity or vices rather than targeting specific people, though the tone of Menippean satire is often harsher, like Juvenalian satire.

Literary Devices Used in Satire

Satire often depends on other literary devices to help it achieve its effect. Below is a list of some of the most common devices that satirists employ when mocking their subjects. Keep in mind that these devices are not specific types of satire—they're just devices that are commonly used as a part of satire (the device), or in satire (the genre).

Verbal irony refers to the use of words to express something other than their literal meaning. This type of irony depends on a disconnect between what is said and what is meant or what is true—so satirists often use irony to suggest that a speaker is too much of a fool to understand a situation or, worse, a liar. Imagine if a public official told a group of citizens, "There's nothing to worry about!" right after a dam had broken before their very eyes. This would make for an effective satire of a government's careless response to a natural disaster.
An anachronism is a person or thing that belongs to a time period other than the one during which a piece of writing is set. Satirists might use anachronism to demonstrate how out of touch a subject is with his or her society. For example, if the same public official in the example above told a 21st-century crowd not to worry because steamboats would come to rescue them, readers would understand that the implication was that officials were either too incompetent or too clueless to resolve the problem.
Parody is the imitation of a literary style for humorous effect. Satirical authors use parody to attack literary conventions and traditional forms of rhetoric, often by exaggerating the key characteristics of the genre until they seem ridiculous or nonsensical. For example, in the prologue to Miguel de Cervantes' classic novel, Don Quixote , Cervantes satirizes the pompous literary conventions in his contemporary Spain by creating his own over-the-top imitations of the elaborate poems that other authors commonly cited in the prologues to their works. Other writers of the time cited such poems to impress readers and project a sense of authority, but Cervantes' parodies make clear that those other writers are merely pretentious and ridiculous.
Understatement is downplaying something's size, significance, or quality. This device is useful to satirists because, like irony, it can often be used to portray a speaker as deceptive or foolish. If a politician understates the severity of his or her actions (e.g., "I don't think starting a war we couldn't win was the best decision"), it underscores just how ineffective and uncritical someone in a position of power can be.
Overstatement is the exaggeration of something's size, significance, or quality. This device can also be used to underscore a speaker's shaky grasp on the reality of any given situation. A politician might overstate the extent of his or her achievements ("This was the best bill ever passed"), so satirists use the device to expose the disconnect between what someone says and the reality of the situation.
Juxtaposition is a literary device in which an author places two things next to each other to highlight the contrast between them. In satirical writing, juxtaposition is especially effective when the combination is unexpected. For example, Seth Grahame-Smith's popular parody novel, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, inserts zombies into the genteel world of Jane Austen's 19th-century England. Grahame-Smith could be said to be using juxtaposition to satirize either the propriety of Bennet's society, the ubiquity of zombies in American popular culture, or both.
Malapropism is the humorous and usually unintentional use of a word in the place of a similar-sounding one. Because these speech errors have the potential to be embarrassing, satirists may portray people as fools by giving them malapropistic lines.

Satire Examples

You can find examples of satire in most art forms, because artists who are critical of their societies may wish to bring about reform or simply to entertain their audiences by mocking familiar people or institutions.

Satire in Literature

There has been a long tradition of satirical novels that criticize and poke fun at all aspects of both society and humanity more generally.

Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels

In this example from Chapter Four of Gulliver's Travels , Swift satirizes the historically troubled relationship between Catholics and Protestants in England, recreating the conflict as a battle over the correct way to eat eggs:

It began upon the following Occasion. It is allowed on all Hands, that the primitive way of breaking Eggs, before we eat them, was upon the larger End: But his present Majesty's Grand-father, while he was a Boy, going to eat an Egg, and breaking it according to the ancient Practice, happened to cut one of his Fingers. Whereupon the Emperor his Father published an Edict, commanding all his Subjects, upon great Penaltys, to break the smaller End of their Eggs. The People so highly resented this Law, that our Histories tell us there have been six Rebellions raised on that accoun t; wherein one Emperor lost his Life, and another his Crown. These civil Commotions were constantly fomented by the Monarchs of Blefuscu; and when they were quelled, the Exiles always fled for Refuge to that Empire . It is computed, that eleven thousand Persons have, at several times, suffered Death, rather than submit to break their Eggs at the smaller End.

While the battle between the two types of egg-eaters is clearly ridiculous—those who fight in it would rather die than eat their eggs "incorrectly"—Swift here is actually taking a jab at the religious quarrels that have played a major role in English politics for hundreds of years by recasting these disputes as frivolous and arbitrary. Swift makes it clear that he's satirizing religious conflicts in England with an allusion to the religious revolts that claimed the life of King Charles I in 1625 and caused his heir, James II, to flee to France. By juxtaposing the king's dramatic escape with the trivial law that led to it, Swift is mocking the seriousness of the ongoing feud.

Satire in Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock

In the Third Canto of The Rape of the Lock , Pope satirizes the vanity of his fellow Englishmen, describing a minor incident (in which a woman loses a lock of hair) as an epic event.

Sudden he view'd, in spite of all her art, An earthly lover lurking at her heart. Amazed, confused, he found his power expired, Resign'd to fate , and with a sigh retired. The peer now spreads the glittering forfex wide, To enclose the lock; now joins it, to divide. E'en then, before the fatal engine closed, A wretched Sylph too fondly interposed; Fate urged the shears , and cut the Sylph in twain (But airy substance soon unites again), The meeting points the sacred hair dissever From the fair head, for ever, and for ever!

Here Pope alludes to a real-life episode in which Robert Petre stole a lock of hair from his love interest, Arabella Fermor. Pope satirizes the minor event by inflating its importance to epic proportions: he makes reference to Sylphs, which are mythological creatures who intervene in moments of crisis. Additionally, Pope overstates the male lover's frustration and the extent to which Fate played a role in the incident (the minor theft of a single curl). The repetition of "for ever" in the final line only heightens the humor of the situation: the hair will obviously grow back in a short amount of time. These lines are gentle jabs at his peers' fixation on appearances.

Additional Works of Satire in Literature

Some additional famous satirical works of literature, and their targets, are:

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Pre-civil-war Southern society, in particular its racism)
American Psycho (Consumer capitalist American society of the 1980s)
Animal Farm (Communist in general and the Soviet Union in particular)
Arms and the Man (Romantic ideals, particularly about love and war)
Candide (Every powerful institution, from the Church to the military, of 18th century Europe)
Catch-22 (The U.S. military)
Don Quixote (Among many other things, fictional books about chivalrous heroes that were popular when Cervantes wrote Don Quixote )
Gulliver's Travels (English society, and humans in general)
A Modest Proposal (English society, particularly in its dealings with Ireland, which at the time was under English control)

Satire in Film and Television

Satire is popular on television, especially on late-night talk shows like Saturday Night Live and The Late Night Show with Stephen Colbert , where hosts regularly target politicians and celebrities who have been in the news recently. Ssome famous satirical movies and their targets are:

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (the Cold War, American geopolitics, the military industrial complex, and nuclear proliferation)
Deadpool (Marvel superheroes, particularly their straight-laced style)
The Wolf of Wall Street (American capitalists, in particular their lavish lifestyles and prodigious hedonism)
Happiness (American suburban life, particularly its treatment of sexuality)
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (English society, particularly its propriety and religious convictions)
Zoolander (The fashion industry)
M*A*S*H (The U.S. Military)

Satire in Political Cartoons

For centuries, cartoonists have used satire to raise awareness of political issues and to belittle people in positions of power. Often, they present extremely unflattering portraits of public figures, with exaggerated facial features and outrageous outfits to emphasize how loathsome they are in the eyes of the artist and readers.

Satire in James Gillray's The Plumb-pudding in Danger

Published in 1805, this cartoon depicts the French emperor and British prime minister battling for bigger portions of a globe-shaped dessert. Gillray satirizes French and British political ambitions by recasting the two leaders' competition for global dominance as a fight at the dinner table. While leaders often present their expansion efforts as being for the good of the nation, Gillray links their desire for new territory to their endless appetite for personal fame and power.

james gillray the plumb-pudding-in-danger

Why Do Writers Choose to Write Satire?

Some authors write satire to raise awareness of social problems and apply pressure on the individuals or institutions responsible for creating them. However, satires don't have to explicitly call for social change—they may just be poking fun at human nature for the sake of entertainment. Writers can use satire for a variety of reasons:

To bring attention to issues that might otherwise be overlooked.
To advocate for social reform.
To provide insight into human weaknesses.
To amuse readers by bringing powerful figures down a notch.
To invite readers to reflect on their own weaknesses and shortcomings.
To mock literary or stylistic conventions.
To recast strongly-held convictions as harmful and/or meaningless.
To make light of, or quell anxiety about, unpleasant situations by making them fun.

Other Helpful Satire Resources

The Wikipedia Page on Satire: A discussion of satire that focuses primarily on the genre's classical origins and role in politics.
Canyon Crest Academy's List of Satire and Satirical Devices: Though some of the devices aren't fully fleshed out, this is a concise list of the most common literary devices used in satirical writing.
Culture Trip's List of The 15 Most Influential Political Cartoons of All Time: While Culture Trip doesn't specifically refer to these cartoons as satire, that's what many of these political cartoons are — the cartoons make light of public figures or societal norms.
List of Satirical Novels: An extensive list of satirical novels from Wikipedia.

The printed PDF version of the LitCharts literary term guide on Satire

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Anachronism
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Figure of Speech
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Rhetorical Question
Dramatic Irony
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Literary Devices

Literary devices, terms, and elements, definition of satire, different classifications of satire, common examples of satire.

There are many different ways that people satirize popular culture. Here are some non-literary examples of satire:

Significance of Satire in Literature

Satire has been used as social criticism for a very long time, and has been discovered in many different ancient cultures, from Ancient Egypt to Ancient Greece to the Medieval Islamic world. As now, satire was used to ridicule government officials and reigning popular opinions. Satire has a unique ability to confront public discourse and ridicule leaders into changing their policies. Some consider satire to be the best way to understand a culture, as it provides insights into the collective psyche of a people and show who had power.

Examples of Satire in Literature

As is often the case, the satire in Huckleberry Finn is often misunderstood and misconstrued as Mark Twain’s actual opinions. Twain hated slavery and used Huckleberry Finn to point out the inhumane way that slave-owners treated slaves. While some contend that the book is racist, Twain was strongly against racism. He used the characters of Jim and Miss Watson, Jim’s owner, to highlight the hypocrisy of slavery. Miss Watson is called a “good Christian woman” so that readers may realize that what she purports to stand for is in direct opposition to her actions.

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Joseph Heller’s World War II novel Catch-22 is a great example of satire. Joseph Heller had flown bomber missions in WWII, just like his main character Captain John Yossarian, and was tortured by the experience. He found the wartime bureaucracy and logic to be incredibly hypocritical. The most famous example of satire in the book comes from the title, the concept of the Catch 22. This is one of those bureaucratic nightmares in which something can only be done when the thing that precludes it from happening happens. Yossarian eventually discovers that the catch doesn’t even exist, but because everything thinks it does it still has the same effect. And, unfortunately, because it doesn’t exist it can’t be repealed. This is a good metaphor for the entire lack of logic in bureaucracy.

Test Your Knowledge of Satire

1. Choose the best satire definition from these statements: A. A genre that ridicules individuals and/or society through wit and irony. B. A light-hearted look at minor societal issues. C. An angry rant about all that is wrong with the world. [spoiler title=”Answer to Question #1″] Answer: A is the correct answer. While some satires may be light-hearted and others seething with rage, A is the best overall definition.[/spoiler]

It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great town or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads, and cabin doors, crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags and importuning every passenger for an alms.

I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts, which I hope will not be liable to the least objection.

I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout.

[spoiler title=”Answer to Question #2″] Answer: C is the correct answer. This is where Swift shocks the reader by suggesting that rich inhabitants of Ireland eat the children of the poor, so that these children will not become a burden to their parents. Clearly, he does not mean this seriously, yet he does aim to show the ludicrousness of the way poor people were treated and the hypocrisy of some other attempts to “fix” the poverty issue in Ireland.[/spoiler]

3. Which of the satire classifications best fits Jonathan Swift’s essay “A Modest Proposal”? A. Horatian B. Juvenalian C. Menippean [spoiler title=”Answer to Question #3″] Answer: B is the correct answer. The satire in his essay is quite abrasive.[/spoiler]

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File photo | Credit DeMilked

Definition & Examples of Satire

Satire is broadly defined as a literary genre that uses ridicule, irony Opens in new window , wit Opens in new window , sarcasm Opens in new window , etc. to expose folly or vice or to lampoon Opens in new window an individual or group of individuals. Thus a work of satire is crafted to mock and blame culprits with the primary goal of imparting positive change in them.

This rhetorical device has its functionality focused on Epideictic Rhetoric Opens in new window where it attacks certain carnibre of individuals, groups, events, etc. It takes place in the present tense and its practical aspect is best understood in connection to a particular example in order to establish proper context.

In this vein, Ronald Placone and Michael Tumolo develop a definition of the Satire upon the premise of Colbert’s 2010 performance in the public sphere when he appeared in character with Jon Stewart at the public event “ Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear Opens in new window .” The definition follows:

Satire is that device which directs the attention simultaneously in two competing directions. First, it invites its audience to reflect on the absurdity of the status quo. By doing so, satire allows the audience to see how norms of appropriate thought or behavior operate culturally, not naturally. Second, by inviting audiences to see how particular norms are produced, it creates the possibility of establishing a new understanding of normative thought and behavior (38).

A satire lampooning a constitution amendment

It is important to note that the Satire is most often applied on two specific roles concurrently:

it brings about the picturesque scene of a ridiculous world created by the satirist meant to excites laugher or merriment; and
is the introduction of the real world meant to invite reflection on how society might correct ridiculous habits or people simultaneously.

Scholars' Observations

In the quest to examining the potentially persuasive aspect of satire, Edward and Lillian Bloom in their vital argument, state that satire’s main role is to unite readers in so manner as to actively address the object of mockery embedded within a particular satirical piece. In some scenarios the satirist is at first required to play the role of a teacher, in order to educate an audience especially in the aspect of events concerning civic importance.

According to Dustin Griffin’s observation, Satire is “a highly rhetorical and moral art. A work of satire is designed to attack vice or folly. To this end it uses wit or ridicule.

Like polemical rhetoric Opens in new window , satire seeks to persuade an audience that something or someone is reprehensible or ridiculous; unlike pure rhetoric, it engages in exaggeration and some sort of fiction. But satire does not forsake the real world entirely. Its victims come from that world, and it is this fact (together with a darker or sharper tone) that separates satire from pure comedy” (34).

Features of Satire

Satire is witty, ironic, and often exaggerated. It uses extremes to bring its audience to a renewed awareness of its ethical and spiritual danger.

Satire strives to bring ethical reform. It attacks social vices, individuals, and institutions deem culpable of vicious acts.

Satire is constructive art that aims not to destroy but to correct social ills.

It seeks to reinstate social standards.

Satire in generally attacks all categories of culpable people rather than individually.

Satire uses humorous approach to make vices laughable while it still conveys its purpose

In most cases satirist uses innuendo, understatement and ambiguity where it become necessary to mask or protect the interest and/or identity against danger.

Classification of Satire

Satires generally attack and ridicule foibles and vices but are typically categorized into three as outlined below:

1. Juvenalian Satire

Juvenalian satire uses irony in a somewhat harsh and abrasive tone to ridicule societal structures, power, civilization, public figures, institutions, and other topical vices.

The name Juvenalian was named after the Roman Satirist ‘ Juvenal Opens in new window ’ for his writings directed at attacking public officials and governmental institutions for their shortcoming which regarded as evil. Juvenalian satire addresses perceived social vices through severe bitter outrage, characterized by the use of irony, sarcasm, moral indignation often with little emphasis on humor.

2. Horatian Satire

Horatian named after the Roman satirist Horace Opens in new window , is one that uses mild humor in a playful manner to denounce social vices, and individual foibles. Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) wrote Satires to gently ridicule the dominant opinions and philosophical beliefs of ancient Rome and Greece. Horatian satire uses wit, exaggeration, and humor to express folly, its goal is to heal the situation with gentle smiles as possible, rather than engaging in personal attacks.

3. Menippean

This is a form of satire characterized by criticism of mental attitudes rather than societal norms or specific individuals. Menippean satire typically attacks mental attitudes of such categories of people like “pedants,” “bigots,” “cranks,” “parvenus,” “virtuosi,” “enthusiasts,” “rapacious” and incompetent professional men of all kinds, which are treated as diseases of the intellect.

Examples of Literary Works that depicts Satire

The Adventures of Huckleberry Opens in new window by Mark Twain — Mark Twain Opens in new window uses satire to ridicule slavery act, he actually condemns the manner people treated slaves. Miss Watson Opens in new window whose character depicted her as a good ‘Christian Woman’ has valuable values but ironically she too keeps slaves. In the story, Jim is a slave owned by Miss Watson. Mark Twain uses satire to convey how hypocritical a ‘good Christian woman’ can be by partaking in a immorality of owning slaves as property.
Animal Farm Opens in new window by George Orwell Opens in new window — As the plot in Animal Farm entails, George Orwell’s satire is directed at outcomes of the Russian Revolution Opens in new window . The Animals represents the Russian people, with the leading figures of communism represented by pigs. According to his beliefs based on experiences garnered from outcome of the Russian Revolution as well as the Spanish Revolution Opens in new window , he believes a classless society could only be achieved through rebellious revolution. This was portrayed in Animal Farm as the animals rebelled against Mr. Jones and took over the farm which they renamed Animal Farm and established themselves as the sole administrators of the farm.
A Voyage to Maryland by Ebenezer Cooke Opens in new window — A satire, that describes the laws, government, courts, and constitutions of the country, and also the buildings, feasts, frolics, entertainments, and drunken humors of the inhabitants in that part of America.

Conclusion!
Satire is a unique style of writing; it uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to criticize and expose people for their incompetence and or stupidity particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues in a society. This genre of literature is used to shame people, businesses, government, and society as a whole into doing something they should do or put an end to indecent and vicious acts contrary to humanity.

Conclusion!

Satire is a unique style of writing; it uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to criticize and expose people for their incompetence and or stupidity particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues in a society. This genre of literature is used to shame people, businesses, government, and society as a whole into doing something they should do or put an end to indecent and vicious acts contrary to humanity.

Similar Figures of Disguise

Irony Opens in new window
Parody Opens in new window
Sarcasm Opens in new window
Elizabeth Benacka, Rhetoric, Humor, and the Public Sphere: From Socrates to Stephen Colbert. Irony, Parody, & Satire. Opens in new window
Wikipedia, Satire Opens in new window

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What Is Satire?

Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms

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An Introduction to Punctuation
Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
B.A., English, State University of New York

Satire is a text or performance that uses irony , derision, or wit to expose or attack human vice, foolishness, or stupidity. Verb: satirize . Adjective: satiric or satirical . A person who employs satire is a satirist .

Using metaphors , novelist Peter De Vries explained the difference between satire and humor: "The satirist shoots to kill while the humorist brings his prey back alive—often to release him again for another chance."

One of the best known satirical works in English is Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726). Contemporary vehicles for satire in the U.S. include The Daily Show , South Park , The Onion, and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee .

Observations

" Satire is a weapon, and it can be quite cruel. It has historically been the weapon of powerless people aimed at the powerful. When you use satire against powerless people, . . . it is not only cruel, it's profoundly vulgar. It is like kicking a cripple." ( Molly Ivins , "Lyin' Bully." Mother Jones , May/June 1995)
" Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own, which is the chief reason for that kind of reception it meets in the world, and that so very few are offended with it." (Jonathan Swift, preface to The Battle of the Books , 1704)
" [S]atire is tragedy plus time. You give it enough time, the public, the reviewers will allow you to satirize it." (Lenny Bruce, The Essential Lenny Bruce , ed. by John Cohen, 1967)

Twain on Satire

"A man can’t write successful satire except he be in a calm judicial good-humor; whereas I hate travel, and I hate hotels, and I hate the old masters . In truth I don’t ever seem to be in a good enough humor with anything to satirize it; no, I want to stand up before it & curse it, & foam at the mouth--or take a club & pound it to rags & pulp." (Mark Twain, letter to William Dean Howells, 1879)

Housebroken Aggression

"While it may seem reckless to assert that satire is universal, there is much evidence of the extremely widespread existence of various forms of housebroken, usually verbal, aggression. Satire in its various guides seems to be one way in which aggression is domesticated, a potentially divisive and chaotic impulse turned into a useful and artistic expression." (George Austin Test, Satire: Spirit and Art . University Press of Florida, 1991)
"[A]busive satire is a wit contest, a kind of game in which the participants do their worst for the pleasure of themselves and their spectators... If the exchange of insults is serious on one side, playful on the other, the satiric element is reduced." (Dustin H. Griffin, Satire: A Critical Reintroduction . University Press of Kentucky, 1994)

Satire in The Daily Show

"It is this blend of satire and political nonfiction [in The Daily Show ] that enables and articulates an incisive critique of the inadequacies of contemporary political discourse . The show then becomes a focal point for existing dissatisfaction with the political sphere and its media coverage, while Jon Stewart*, as high-profile host, becomes a viewer surrogate, able to express that dissatisfaction through his comedic transformation of the real." (Amber Day, "And Now . . . the News? Mimesis and the Real in The Daily Show ." Satire TV: Politics and Comedy in the Post-Network Era , ed. by Jonathan Gray, Jeffrey P. Jones, Ethan Thompson. NYU Press, 2009) In September 2015, Trevor Noah replaced Jon Stewart as host of The Daily Show .

The Rhetoric of Satire

"As a rhetorical performance, satire is designed to win the admiration and applause of a reading audience not for the ardor or acuteness of its moral concern but for the brilliant wit and force of the satirist as a rhetorician . Traditionally, satire is thought of as persuasive rhetoric. But [literary theorist Northrop] Frye, noting that rhetoric is not devoted solely to persuasion, distinguishes between 'ornamental speech' and 'persuasive speech.' 'Ornamental rhetoric acts on its hearers statically, leading them to admire its own beauty or wit; persuasive rhetoric tries to lead them kinetically toward a course of action. One articulates emotion, the other manipulates it' ( Anatomy of Criticism , p. 245). More often than we have acknowledged, satire makes use of 'ornamental rhetoric..." "I do not mean to suggest that after the first century epideictic rhetoric served only as entertainment, or that in making use of epideictic rhetoric satirists do not seek to bring discredit on their subject (the enemy). . . . I am arguing that satirists implicitly (and sometimes explicitly) ask that we observe and appreciate their skill . It is to be suspected too that satirists judge themselves by such a standard. Anybody can call names, but it requires skill to make a malefactor die sweetly." (Dustin H. Griffin, Satire: A Critical Reintroduction . University Press of Kentucky, 1994)

The Stranger That Lives in the Basement

"The general attitude toward satire is comparable to that of members of a family toward a slightly disreputable relative, who though popular with the children makes some of the adults a bit uncomfortable (cf. the critical evaluation of Gulliver's Travels ). Shunning is out of the question as is full acceptance..." "Unruly, wayward, frolicsome, critical, parasitic, at times perverse, malicious, cynical, scornful, unstable--it is at once pervasive yet recalcitrant, base yet impenetrable. Satire is the stranger that lives in the basement." (George Austin Test, Satire: Spirit and Art . University Press of Florida, 1991)
What Is a Rhetorical Device? Definition, List, Examples
AP English Exam: 101 Key Terms
Definition and Examples of Aphorisms
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
Definition and Examples of Irony (Figure of Speech)
Definition and Examples of Evidence in Argument
"The Penalty of Death" by H.L. Mencken
Definition and Examples of Sarcasm
Biography of Alexander Pope, England's Most Quoted Poet
Can You Identify the 3 Branches of Rhetoric?
Quotes From "Gulliver's Travels"
Rhetoric: Definitions and Observations
Definition and Examples of Epideictic Rhetoric
Plain Style in Prose
What is Snark?
Definition and Examples of Ethos in Classical Rhetoric

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What is Satire? || Definition & Examples

"what is satire" a guide for english students and teachers.

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What is Satire? Transcript (English and Spanish Subtitles Available in Video; Click Here for Spanish Transcript)

By Evan Gottlieb , Oregon State University Professor of British Literature

16 August 2019

Satire is the art of making someone or something look ridiculous, raising laughter in order to embarrass, humble, or discredit its targets.

As a literary genre , satire is one of the oldest: the term was coined by the classical rhetorician Quintillian, who used the root of the Latin word “satura,” which means “full,” and was familiar to many Romans from the phrase lanx satura , which described a medley of fruits – and apparently conveyed the miscellaneous quality of early satire.

Eventually, more specific kinds of satire became associated with the works of three different Roman authors, whose names are still invoked to describe the varieties of satire they established.

Horatian satire tends to be good-natured and light-hearted, looking to raise laughter to encourage moral improvement. A famous example of Horatian satire is the eighteenth-century poet Alexander Pope’s poem The Rape of the Lock , which, despite its serious-sounding name, was an attempt bring back together two real-life feuding families by humorously exaggerating the severity of the cause of their rift.

A contemporary example of Horatian satire, in my opinion, would be many Saturday Night Live skits – especially the ones in which famous actors impersonate famous politicians, thereby raising a laugh at the latter’s expense but usually doing it in a relatively gentle way, in which everyone is on the joke together (including the person being caricatured).

horatian_satire_snl.jpg

Juvenalian satire tends to be more bitter and dark, expressing anger and outrage at the state of the world. A famous example of Juvenalian satire is by another eighteenth-century writer, Jonathan Swift. A Modest Proposal is a prose pamphlet that initially appears to be a serious, well-intentioned attempt to suggest a solution to what was a major problem at the time: the impoverished state of Ireland, due in no small part to absentee English landlords who owned a lot of Irish land but re-invested very little of their profits back into the Irish economy. As the narrator begins to explain his plan to invigorate the Irish economy and make all the poor Irish families “useful” again, however, the reader slowly begins to see that the narrator’s proposal is actually for Irish women to sell their babies to be eaten by their Anglo-Irish landlords. A Modest Proposal is thus an angry denunciation, not just of the rapaciousness of the English landlords and their lack of care for their Irish tenants, but also of the kind of bureaucratic mindset that becomes so enamored with its own problem-solving that it forgets that real humans will be affected by its plans. A modern example of Juvenalian satire would be the parodies of contemporary advertising done by groups like Adbusters, in which they peel away the shiny veneer of advertising to show the heartless greed that lies underneath most corporate capitalism.

juvenalian_satire_adbusters.jpg

Menippean satire is reserved for prose works that still resemble the original connotation of satire as a miscellany, or containing multitudes. A canonical example of the Menippean satire is Laurence Sterne’s novel Tristram Shandy , published in 9 volumes between 1759-1767. While technically the life story of the eponymous narrator, the novel is far less interested in any kind of linear plot than in accumulating incidents, characters, and materials that gently mock and comment on the absurdities of what was then modern life and love. Menippean satires are relatively rare these days, but many so-called postmodern novels, with their encyclopedic range and fondness for esoteric digression, bear more than a passing relation to the form: from Thomas Pynchon’s massive Gravity’s Rainbow to Zadie Smith’s breakout White Teeth.

menippean_satire_tristram_shandy.jpg

Regardless of which type of satire is being deployed, it must take aim at a target that is larger or more powerful than the author. Otherwise, instead of satire we have mere cruelty or bullying. So satire is very context-dependent.

Satire also depends on the audience recognizing it as such: for satire to be effective, it must be received as satire -- there is always the risk that the satire will be read “straight” or superficially. This was the case, for example, with the reception of David Fincher’s 1999 film adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel Fight Club – which satirizes both consumerism and toxic masculinity. Many viewers of the movie apparently didn’t understand that it was a satire, however, since in its wake a number of real-life “fight clubs” sprang up across the country: something that shouldn’t have happened, had audiences fully understood that the film was making fun of the kind of masculinity that’s so desperate to prove itself that it will happily engage in underground, bare-knuckle fighting.

Satire is a powerful weapon when used effectively and appropriately; but its also a risky one, too – which is probably a big reason why it remains so fascinating for authors and audiences alike.

Want to cite this?

MLA Citation: Gottlieb, Evan. "What is Satire?" Oregon State Guide to English Literary Terms, 16 Aug. 2019, Oregon State University, https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/what-satire . Accessed [insert date].

Further Resources for Teachers

Teaching satire is a good way to introduce students to the conventions of a given literary genre. For a brief explanation of that subject, please see our "What is a Genre?" video.

Mark Twain's essay "Advice to Youth" offers many opportunities to explore how satire works. The text pairs well with Seaton Smith's “‘Jivin’ with Your Teen.”

Writing prompts: How would you classify Twain's essay? Is it Horatian, Juvenalian, Menippean, or some combination of these forms?

Who are the target(s) of Twain's satire? What are some messages of this satire and how are those messages delivered?

Interested in more video lessons? View the full series:

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Satire Definition Satire is a method employed by writers to show and criticize foolishness and corruption of an man or woman or a society, by using using humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule. It intends to enhance humanity by means of criticizing its follies and foibles. A author in a satire makes use of fictional characters, which stand for real people, to show and condemn their corruption. A author may additionally factor a satire toward a person, a country, or maybe the complete world. Usually, a satire is a comical piece of writing which makes fun of an individual or a society, to show its stupidity and shortcomings. In addition, he hopes that those he criticizes will improve their characters through overcoming their weaknesses. Satire and Irony Satire and irony are interlinked. Irony is the distinction between what is stated or done, and what is genuinely meant. Therefore, writers frequently appoint satire to point on the dishonesty and silliness of people and society, and criticize them by way of ridiculing them. Examples of Satire in Everyday Life Most political cartoons we see each day in newspapers and magazines are examples of satire. These cartoons criticize a few current movements of political figures in a comical way. Some indicates on television are satire examples, which include The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and The Larry Sanders Show. These suggests declare to goal what they assume are silly political and social viewpoints. Let us see a pattern of Stephen Colbert’s social satire: “If that is going to be a Christian kingdom that doesn’t assist the bad, either we should faux that Jesus was just as egocentric as we are, or we’ve got to renowned that He commanded us to love the bad and serve the needy without circumstance after which admit that we simply don’t need to do it.” Examples of Satire in Literature Example #1: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (By Mark Twain) There are numerous examples of satire in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He makes use of satire as a device to proportion his thoughts and opinions on slavery, human nature, and plenty of other issues that stricken American society at that time. Below are some citations from the radical that display satire: “What’s the use you mastering to do right, whilst it’s difficult to do proper and isn’t no problem to do wrong, and the wages is just the same?” (Ch. 16) “There warn’t each person on the church, besides maybe a hog or , for there warn’t any lock on the door, and hogs likes a puncheon ground in summer-time due to the fact it’s cool. If you notice, maximum oldsters don’t visit church simplest while they’ve got to; but a hog is different.” (Ch. 18) “The pitifulest issue out is a mob; that’s what an military is – a mob; they don’t fight with courage that’s born in them, but with braveness that’s borrowed from their mass, and from their officers. But a mob without any man at the pinnacle of it's miles under pitifulness.” (Ch. 22) Example #2: The Rape of the Lock (By Alexander Pope) Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock is an example of poetic satire wherein he has satirized the upper middle class of eighteenth century England. It exposes the conceitedness of young fashionable girls and gentlemen, and the frivolity of their movements. For instance, Pope says, about Belinda, after dropping her lock of hair: “Whether the nymph shall smash Diana’s law, Or some frail china jar acquire a flaw, Or stain her honor, or her new brocade…” The line mocks the values of the trendy class of that age. The trivial matters were thought of as equal to massive matters. For Belinda, the lack of her virtue will become identical to a China jar being cracked. Example #3: Gulliver Travels (By Jonathan Swift) Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver Travels is one of the greatest satirical works in English Literature. Swift relentlessly satirizes politics, religion, and Western culture. Criticizing celebration politics in England, Swift writes: “…that for above seventy Moons past there have been two struggling Parties in this Empire, underneath the Names of Tramecksan and Slamecksan from the excessive and low Heels on their shoes, with the aid of which they distinguish themselves.” During Swift’s times, two rival political events, the Whigs and the Tories, dominated the English political scene. Similarly, “The Kingdom of Lilliput” is ruled through two events prominent by way of the dimensions of the heels in their boots. By the trivial disputes between the 2 Lilliputian events, Swift satirizes the minor disputes of the two English parties of his period. Function of Satire The position of satire is to ridicule or criticize the ones vices in society the writer considers to be a hazard to civilization. The creator considers it his obligation to expose these vices for the betterment of humanity. Therefore, the feature of satire isn't always to make others chortle at persons or thoughts they make a laugh of. It intends to warn the public, and to exchange people’s opinions about the prevailing corruption and situations in society.

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Introduction

Historical definitions

Influence of horace and juvenal.

Structure of verse satire
The satiric spirit
Motion pictures and television
Visual arts
The satirist, the law, and society

Take a look at George Bernard Shaw speaking on the marvels of Movietone

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Table Of Contents

satire , artistic form, chiefly literary and dramatic, in which human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to censure by means of ridicule, derision , burlesque , irony , parody , caricature , or other methods, sometimes with an intent to inspire social reform.

Satire is a protean term. Together with its derivatives, it is one of the most heavily worked literary designations and one of the most imprecise. The great English lexicographer Samuel Johnson defined satire as “a poem in which wickedness or folly is censured,” and more elaborate definitions are rarely more satisfactory. No strict definition can encompass the complexity of a word that signifies, on one hand, a kind of literature—as when one speaks of the satires of the Roman poet Horace or calls the American novelist Nathanael West ’s A Cool Million a satire—and, on the other, a mocking spirit or tone that manifests itself in many literary genres but can also enter into almost any kind of human communication . Wherever wit is employed to expose something foolish or vicious to criticism , there satire exists, whether it be in song or sermon, in painting or political debate, on television or in the movies. In this sense satire is everywhere.

In literary works, satire can be direct or indirect. With direct satire, the narrator speaks directly to the reader. With indirect satire, the author’s intent is realized within the narrative and its story. Although this article deals primarily with satire as a literary phenomenon, it records its manifestations in a number of other areas of human activity as well.

The nature of satire

The terminological difficulty is pointed up by a phrase of the Roman rhetorician Quintilian : “satire is wholly our own” (“satura tota nostra est”). Quintilian seems to be claiming satire as a Roman phenomenon, although he had read the Greek dramatist Aristophanes and was familiar with a number of Greek forms that one would call satiric. But the Greeks had no specific word for satire, and by satura (which meant originally something like “medley” or “miscellany” and from which comes the English satire ) Quintilian intended to specify that kind of poem “invented” by Gaius Lucilius , written in hexameters on certain appropriate themes, and characterized by a Lucilian-Horatian tone. Satura referred, in short, to a poetic form , established and fixed by Roman practice. (Quintilian mentions also an even older kind of satire written in prose by Marcus Terentius Varro and, one might add, by Menippus and his followers Lucian and Petronius .) After Quintilian’s day, satura began to be used metaphorically to designate works that were satirical in tone but not in form. As soon as a noun enters the domain of metaphor , as one modern scholar has pointed out, it clamours for extension, and satura (which had no verbal, adverbial, or adjectival forms) was immediately broadened by appropriation from the Greek satyros and its derivatives. The odd result is that the English satire comes from the Latin satura , but satirize , satiric , etc., are of Greek origin. By about the 4th century ce the writer of satires came to be known as satyricus ; St. Jerome , for example, was called by one of his enemies “a satirist in prose” (“satyricus scriptor in prosa”). Subsequent orthographic modifications obscured the Latin origin of the word satire : satura becomes satyra , and in England by the 16th century it was written satyre .

Elizabethan writers , anxious to follow Classical models but misled by a false etymology, believed that satyre derived from the Greek satyr play : satyrs being notoriously rude, unmannerly creatures, it seemed to follow that the word satyre should indicate something harsh, coarse, rough. The English author Joseph Hall wrote:

The Satyre should be like the Porcupine, That shoots sharpe quils out in each angry line, And wounds the blushing cheeke, and fiery eye, Of him that heares, and readeth guiltily. ( Virgidemiarum , V, 3, 1–4)

The false etymology that derives satire from satyrs was finally exposed in the 17th century by the Classical scholar Isaac Casaubon , but the old tradition has aesthetic if not etymological appropriateness and has remained strong.

In the prologue to his book , Hall makes a claim that has caused confusion like that following from Quintilian’s remark on Roman satire. Hall boasts:

I first adventure: follow me who list, And be the second English Satyrist.

But Hall knew the satirical poems of Geoffrey Chaucer and John Skelton , among other predecessors, and probably meant that he was the first to imitate systematically the formal satirists of Rome.

By their practice, the great Roman poets Horace and Juvenal set indelibly the lineaments of the genre known as the formal verse satire and, in so doing, exerted pervasive , if often indirect, influence on all subsequent literary satire. They gave laws to the form they established, but it must be said that the laws were very loose indeed. Consider, for example, style. In three of his Satires (I, iv; I, x; II, i) Horace discusses the tone appropriate to the satirist who out of a moral concern attacks the vice and folly he sees around him. As opposed to the harshness of Lucilius, Horace opts for mild mockery and playful wit as the means most effective for his ends. Although I portray examples of folly, he says, I am not a prosecutor and I do not like to give pain; if I laugh at the nonsense I see about me, I am not motivated by malice . The satirist’s verse, he implies, should reflect this attitude: it should be easy and unpretentious, sharp when necessary, but flexible enough to vary from grave to gay. In short, the character of the satirist as projected by Horace is that of an urbane man of the world, concerned about folly, which he sees everywhere, but moved to laughter rather than rage.

Juvenal, more than a century later, conceives the satirist’s role differently. His most characteristic posture is that of the upright man who looks with horror on the corruptions of his time, his heart consumed with anger and frustration. Why does he write satire? Because tragedy and epic are irrelevant to his age. Viciousness and corruption so dominate Roman life that, for someone who is honest, it is difficult not to write satire. He looks about him, and his heart burns dry with rage; never has vice been more triumphant. How can he be silent ( Satires , I)? Juvenal’s declamatory manner, the amplification and luxuriousness of his invective, are wholly out of keeping with the stylistic prescriptions set by Horace. At the end of the scabrous sixth satire, a long, perfervid invective against women, Juvenal flaunts his innovation: in this poem, he says, satire has gone beyond the limits established by his predecessors; it has taken to itself the lofty tone of tragedy.

The results of Juvenal’s innovation have been highly confusing for literary history. What is satire if the two poets universally acknowledged to be supreme masters of the form differ so completely in their work as to be almost incommensurable? The formulation of the English poet John Dryden has been widely accepted. Roman satire has two kinds, he says: comical satire and tragical satire , each with its own kind of legitimacy. These denominations have come to mark the boundaries of the satiric spectrum , whether reference is to poetry or prose or to some form of satiric expression in another medium. At the Horatian end of the spectrum, satire merges imperceptibly into comedy , which has an abiding interest in human follies but has not satire’s reforming intent. The distinction between the two modes, rarely clear, is marked by the intensity with which folly is pursued: fops and fools and pedants appear in both, but only satire has a moral purpose. And, although the great engine of both comedy and satire is irony , in satire, as the 20th-century critic Northrop Frye claimed, irony is militant.

Nicolas Boileau , Dryden, and Alexander Pope , writing in the 17th and 18th centuries—the modern age of satire—catch beautifully, when they like, the deft Horatian tone. However, satire’s wit can also be sombre, deeply probing, and prophetic, as it explores the ranges of the Juvenalian end of the satiric spectrum , where satire merges with tragedy, melodrama , and nightmare. Pope’s Dunciad ends with these lines:

Lo! thy dread Empire, Chaos ! is restor’d; Light dies before thy uncreating word: Thy hand, great Anarch! lets the curtain fall; And Universal Darkness buries All.

It is the same darkness that falls on Book IV of Jonathan Swift ’s Gulliver’s Travels , on some of Mark Twain ’s satire— The Mysterious Stranger and “To the Person Sitting in Darkness”—and on George Orwell ’s Nineteen Eighty-four and, in a more surrealist vein, Joseph Heller ’s Catch-22 .

4 Types of Satire & Its Examples in Literature

Satire is a literary term used to criticize upon the person, institution or some idea in a humorous way to point out faults or weaknesses.

It is a literary term used to criticize upon the person, institution or some idea in a humorous way to point out faults or weaknesses. It is opposite to irony which is used for indirect criticism. It is a literary weapon which intends to rouse mockery, disdain or repugnance at misconducts of a man and malpractices of the institutions.

It is also used to entertain readers. Writers use satire in their novels, essays, films, poems, cartoons & memes in order to indicate errors of some institution before the people or to show some incorrect political decision.

Originated from the Latin word satur and was first known used in 1501.

Devices use in Satire:

• Verbal irony • Parody • Anachronism • Understatement • Overstatement

Verbal irony : Speaker speaks words different to what he means.

Parody : It is imitation of style used for exaggeration and to create comic effect.

Anachronism: The thing is attributed to that period which actually is not belongs to.

Understatement : In this device, the actual thing is described while underestimating it.

Overstatement: Actual thing is told by making exaggeration.

5 Examples of Satire

Here are five examples sentences of satire:

“The best way to get a bad law repealed is to enforce it strictly.” — Abraham Lincoln
“When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.” — Will Rogers
“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” — Thomas Paine
“I think we owe it to ourselves and our children to declare that there is no such thing as ‘normal’ family life or normal sexual relations.” — Alfred Kinsey
“If men were angels, no government would be necessary.” — James Madison

Kinds of Satire

There are four kinds of satire.

Horatian: It is a witty or informal type of taunt which is used to enjoy rather than hate human follies.

Juvenalian: It is serious type of satire which is used to indicate human error so that he may correct himself.

Menippean: It is not a usual sense satire, however relates to some topic. This type of satire is used by employing all the literary modes.

Romantic: Lord Byron originated this type of satire. He made satire upon the hypocritical morality of his contemporaries.

See also: Literary Devices That Start With S

Examples in Literature:

“rape of the lock” by (alexander pope).

Now lap dog’s give themselves’ the rowzing shake, and sleepless lover’s just at Twelve, awake’. Think not when woman’s transient breath’ is fled, That all her Vanities at once are dead. With varying Vanities from every part, they shift the moving toyshop of their’ heart.

Pope used social satire in this poem. He satirized not only the individual but against the follies of fashionable men and women as a whole. The writer has shown the woman frivolity and errors to the readers.

In the novel, he satirized the idleness of noble woman through his character ‘Belinda’.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

All men are enemies, we must not resemble them, no animal must ev’r tyrannize’ his own

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

The creature’s outside looked from pig to man, And from man to pig, And from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.

Throughout the play, the Russian Revolution and its affects have been discussed. ‘Orwell’ used political satire by comparing animals to humans.

He presented the concept of communism according to which all humans are equal in the society but with the changing situation after Russian Revolution, the powers went into the hands of some selected persons. The writer used the tool of humorous satire by comparing the political ideals with animals.

Gulliver Travel by Jonathan Swift

I had the evening before drunk plentifully of a most delicious’ wine called glimigrim (the Blefuscudians call it flunec but our’s is esteemed the bett’r sort) which is very diuretic. By the luckiest’ chance in the world, I had not discharged myself of any part of it. The heat I had contracted by coming very near the flames, and by laboring to quench them, made the white wine begin to operate by urine, which I voided in such a quantity, and applied so well to the proper places, that in three minutes the fire was wholly extinguished, and the rest of that noble pile, which had cost so many ages in erecting, preserved from destruction.

In Part-1 of the book, ‘Swift’ made minor satirical attacks. He provides readers a comfortable atmosphere by describing how ‘Gulliver’ saved the palace and the King’s wife is hysterical.

having taken the height of my body by the help of a quadrant and finding it to exceed their’s in the proportion of twelve to one they concluded from the similarity of their bodies that mine must contain at least 1728 of theirs, and consequently would require as much fo’d as was necessary to support that number of Lilliputians.

Here ‘Swift’ mocks the Lilliputians ignorance and arrogance by describing how mathematicians of Lilliput measured Gulliver’s height with the help of a quadrant. He has made splendid use of technique of the verbal irony in this this laughable and mind provoking ordinary ironic narration to attain the effects of satire.

“A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift

This satiric essay was written by the ‘Swift’ by considering the Irish economy situation. He highlighted the poverty, bad situation of Ireland and rule of England over the Irish people. He claimed that England is responsible for the catastrophic situation of Ireland.

I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing and wholesome food whether stewed, roasted, baked or boiled, and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee.

What is Political Satire?

It is a satire that is used to obtain entertainment from the politics. It is different from the protest or political dissent as it does not carry out any agenda and also does not seek any political influence.

It only highlights the errors made by the political regime and does not provide it’s constructive solution.

In ancient literatures the public while performing at theatre and poets through their work used this literary technique which had affect upon the politics.

In 20th and 21st centuries, the mode of satire has been changed and now the same is done through social media by displaying political cartoons in order to show the political scandals. Different television shows have also been performed to highlight the political satire.

Difference between Satire and Humor:

‘ Humor ’ is simply called the funny statement which has been produced by using wit, irony, sarcasm, hyperbole and exaggeration.

‘ Satire’ is really called criticism. Satire may be of two kinds. First, Horatian, that produces humor and second Juvenalian, which is used to bitterly criticize something or some fault of humans.

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3 thoughts on “Satire”

What about one punch man the anime?

ONE PUNCH MAN OR SAITAMA IS A GOD. HIS TRAINING MADE HIS INSANELY STRONG SO HE HAS BECOME A GOD. SAITAMA IS A GOD THOUGH I KNOW THIS FOR REAL. HE IS A GOD BECAUSE HIS WORKOUT AND HE CAN KILL ANYONE IF HE PUNCHES THEM HARD ENOUGH. HE IS PRACTICALLY A GOD.

It is also used in Pride and Prejudice, satire on marriage. The book mocks aristocrats marrying for status not love.

Satire Definition: What is Satire?

Satire is the art of mocking human follies or vices, with the intent of correcting or criticizing those shortcomings of human nature. It is, quite simply, a tasteful means of ridiculing human behaviors, institutions, and politics.

Satire definition: the art of mocking human follies or vices, with the intent of correcting or criticizing those shortcomings of human nature.

Now, satire isn’t just senseless ribbing. Writing about something with sarcasm, irony, or condescension doesn’t make something satirical. Nor does it count if you simply make fun of something: an essay that laughs at arson victims, for example, would just be cruelty.

Rather, satire must criticize a specific action, belief, or institution. It must poke holes in the logic of those actions, beliefs, or institutions, without ever explicitly stating the humor. Finally, it must showcase this flawed logic with the intent of creating awareness and inciting change.

Let’s use an Onion article as an example. Read this brief story: “Mark Zuckerberg Asks Hawaiian Neighbor To Cut Down Unsightly, Overgrown Rainforest”

The title alone makes for a great bit of satire, but let’s break down what the article is doing.

Realistic fiction: For starters, this never happened—but it sounds like something that would.
Ironic use of “lack of respect”: Zuckerberg finds the forest’s presence to be disrespectful, though his request to disrupt the natural land is far more disrespectful.
Hyperbolic language: Phrases like “unkempt biome” and “obnoxious waterfall” are hyperbolic and unusual, signifying the comedy of the article.
Scornful Tone: The writer of the article clearly expresses a scornful, satirical tone.
Subtlety: The article never says “Mark Zuckerberg is a bad person.” But it does quote him as calling native Hawaiians “disgusting nuisances,” using a word play device called “paraprosdokian.”
Logical extremes: The idea behind this article is that a billionaire is making unreasonable, hurtful demands to satisfy his own comforts. This article takes that idea to a logical extreme.
Juxtaposition of incongruous features: There’s no HOA for Hawaiian rainforests. The inclusion of this detail satirizes the bureaucracy that wealthy people use to their advantage: if there was a rainforest HOA, it would certainly come to Zuckerberg’s benefit.

We’ll examine these elements of satire more closely in a moment. For now, take note that all of these elements—irony, juxtaposition, hyperbole, etc.—are working together in this short but highly effective article.

Elements of Satire

Whether you’re writing Juvenalian satire or Horatian satire (terms we’ll define in a bit), the following elements are useful to writing satirical works. You’ll notice some of these elements working in both the above article and the satire examples we include later on.

Realism: A work of satire must sound like it could actually happen in the real world. Now, this isn’t always easy, especially if your essay is about a politician condoning the consumption of newborns. What’s important is that satire does not draw attention to its own farce . The story must ostensibly treat its subject matter seriously, even when it uses literary devices in jest.
Irony : Irony is when the opposite of what’s expected actually occurs. It is a contrast between “what seems to be” and “what is,” surprising and provoking the reader. Irony is pivotal to satire, as it allows the story to seem realistic while being hyperbolic, while also amusing the reader or challenging a certain assumption the reader has made.
Hyperbole: Hyperbole is language that is incommensurate with the thing being described. For example, let’s say you walk outside on a hot July day, and you say “it’s a million degrees outside!” Hyperbolic language often makes for great satire writing. Note that “understatement” is an effective form of hyperbole as well.
Tone: Tone refers to the author’s attitude towards a certain topic. Because the intent of satire is to criticize or make fun of something, the tone of a satire piece might be ironic, sarcastic, mocking, critical, or simply satirical.
Subtlety: Satire writers need to strike a fine balance between realism and absurdism. The story should seem possible in the real world, but it should also lean into comedy and farce without explicitly stating the thing that’s being satirized .
Logical Extremes: A logical extreme is when an idea or argument is amplified to a hyperbolic, but still possible, conclusion. Let’s take the argument “Cats are evil.” A logical extreme of this would be “ Kitten Thinks Of Nothing But Murder All Day .”
Juxtaposition of Incongruous Features: Juxtaposition refers to the close placement of two related objects in text. In satire, writers will juxtapose incongruous features—items which don’t belong next to each other, but are written about as though they do. An example of this would be “ Geologists Find Historical Record of Last 3 Million Years in Woman’s Makeup Brushes .”

It is important to recognize that satire is all about imitation . The story seems like something that could or has happened in the real world, with only slight adjustments to make the story farcical or hyperbolic. These changes—these juxtapositions, hyperboles, and logical extremes—amount to a subtle, yet evocative, critique of the satire’s subject.

Works of imitation are often satire. Parody, for example, is a satirical imitation of another work of art, literature, or media. Similar to parody is the burlesque, which treats a serious work of art as something caricatured and risible. Slapstick, finally, can be satirical, especially when the characters of a slapstick comedy are public figures that the author views as unintelligent.

Pay attention to these elements at play in the satire examples we share throughout this article.

Satire vs. Parody

Because works of parody are intended to mock, riff, or imitate other works of art, parody is often confused with satire. Although parody can produce satire, there are a few key differences between the two.

Parody is always the comical imitation of a certain style or genre. One example of this is Don Quixote, a novel which parodies the romance novels of 17th century Spain. Another example is Candide . Candide is ostensibly a work of satire, but it uses parodies of the romance and adventure novel—for example, the picaresque and the bildungsroman—to construct this satire.

In media, parody is a huge aspect of Saturday Night Live skits. 1-800-Flowers , for example, is a parody of flower commercials on television.

Satire is much more complex than parody.

Satire is much more complex than parody: for one, it is much subtler than the parody, and for another, it specifically criticizes an idea, argument, or person. Parodies can make fun of certain styles or conventions without attacking a particular person or idea—though a parody can also be critical.

In short, parody is a work of imitative art that can stand on its own, or it can contribute to the development of a work of satire, but it is not the same as satire itself.

Satire vs. Sarcasm

A similar dilemma emerges with satire vs. sarcasm: they seem the same, but one is actually an element of the other.

Sarcasm is the use of ironic language to poke fun at another person’s faults. It is verbal irony with the intent of making fun. Let’s say you drop your phone and the screen cracks. Your sarcastic friend (or enemy!) might say “That was so graceful,” implying that what you did was the opposite of graceful.

Sarcasm, thus, is one of the elements of satire. A work of satire might have a sarcastic tone, employ sarcastic description, or rely heavily on inverted language.

People often employ the adjectives “satirical” and “sarcastic” as if they’re synonyms. They are, but they mean slightly different things. “Sarcastic” means “using wit and irony to hurt someone,” whereas “satirical” means “using wit and irony to expose or criticize human folly.”

Satire in Poems

Although most satire examples you’ll find are works of prose, you can also find satire in poems. Satirical poetry relies on the same techniques as works of prose do, but because the poem is constrained by poetry form , the poet must be much more discerning about which elements of satire to include in the poem.

Classical poets such as Dryden, Swift, and Shelley employed satire in poems, but let’s look at an example from the modern day: Read “Thank You For Waiting” by Simon Armitage .

The satire is readily apparent in this poem. The format riffs off of the language that airlines use to board their passengers. By taking this language to its logical extreme, the poem effectively satirizes the artificial class divisions perpetuated by airlines, corporations, and other wealthy, capitalist institutions.

What are the two types of satire?

What are the two types of satire? Literary theorists organize works of satire into two categories: Horatian and Juvenalian. These categories come from the names Horace and Juvenal, two poets of Ancient Rome.

Horatian satire is a typically lighthearted work that pokes fun at mankind’s follies. It is not caustic or overly critical. Rather, it laughs at the failings of mankind with a certain amount of sympathy, telling the truth about our imperfections with a smile.

By contrast, Juvenalian satire is much angrier, and is written with the intent of criticizing and condemning a certain person or institution that the satirist views as evil. These pieces of satire usually confront social and political issues.

There exists a third and less frequently discussed form of satire called the Menippean satire. This type satirizes certain ways of thinking, rather than particular individuals or groups. It tends to be a novel-length work that focuses on societal norms, often including philosophical discussions. Named after an Ancient Greek satirist, a contemporary Menippean satire might poke fun at, for example, altered states of consciousness ( Alice in Wonderland ).

The Menippean satire has its own history and genre conventions which are beyond the scope of this article. To learn more about those conventions, start here .

In the meantime, let’s look at some Horatian satire examples and Juvenalian satire examples.

Horatian Satire Examples

The Horatian satire is the most lighthearted form of satire. As such, these works of literature and journalism are intended to make you laugh—but that doesn’t mean a Horatian satire cannot also be thought-provoking.

Here are a few examples from literature:

1. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

Gulliver’s Travels is a novel that satirizes the “travelers’ tale,” a subgenre of literature that was especially popular during the ages of exploration. In the novel, Lemuel Gulliver’s travels take him to a land of tiny people (Lilliput), a land of giants (Brobdingnag), a floating island of the arts (Laputa), and a land of talking horses (the Houyhnhnms).

Throughout these travels, Gulliver often compares the societies and governments of the people he meets with that of 18th century Europe. Each land has its own problems, taken to logical extremes. The Houyhnhnms, for example, are honest and upright people who don’t have a word for lying. (Their name is an onomatopoeia for the sounds horses make.) Yet, they’re happy to suppress Gulliver’s status as an outsider to the local humans (the Yahoos), indicating that they believe silence is better than lying.

Additionally, the character Gulliver is rather easily misled and rarely employs critical thinking. As a result, his outlook on humanity becomes more and more depressing as the story progresses, because he becomes aware of the flaws in each of these societies and comes to believe that all men are the same, rather than recognizing the nuances in human civilization and psychology.

As a result, each element of the story is carefully crafted satire. It’s Horatian satire because many of the situations are intended to make readers laugh, such as the Brobdingnag giants crafting a tiny house that they can carry Gulliver around in. Nonetheless, the novel prompts readers to examine the ways they react to different cultures and lived experiences, as well as coming to terms with the fact that there is no ideal government.

2. The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales is noteworthy for a number of reasons, namely that it popularized the use of English vernacular in literature (when, previously, English was seen as a commoner’s language, and literature was written in Latin or French). Partially written in prose and partially written in verse, The Canterbury Tales provides an interesting window into culture and society during the turn of the 15th century.

It is also, when closely examined, a work of satire on the peoples of England.

The Canterbury Tales revolves around a group of pilgrims regaling each other with stories of their lived experiences. Those experiences range widely: characters include a friar, a knight, two nuns, a shipman, a physician, a cook, a pardoner, and many more. Each person’s tale is inevitably informed by their class and social standing. As a result, their stories end up being satires on the lived experiences they represent and, more broadly, satirize elements of medieval society as a whole.

For example, the Nun’s Tale satirizes “courtly love,” a literary genre (and true-to-life representation) of what relationships looked like among the ruling elite. The Nun’s Tale takes place in a barnyard, not in the high courts, which makes a mockery of the acts of chivalry described by the Nun.

The 15th century was a time of great social upheaval for Europe, particularly England, where the emergence of a merchant class and a (non-religious) intellectual class spawned new ideas about the structure of society. The Canterbury Tales capitalizes on these changes by satirizing the societies and psychologies of people in each class.

3. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court is most frequently heralded as one of the first time travel novels. Apart from this, it is also a hilarious Horatian satire on the values of medieval Feudalism.

In the novel, Hank Morgan, an engineer from Connecticut, inadvertently travels to 6th century England after being struck in the head. Hank convinces the people of his “magical powers” by telling them about the future. Doing this, he gains power in King Arthur’s course and tries to bring modernity to the 500s. This results in a satire of the values and institutions in both medieval society and 19th century America.

For example, Merlin creates a veil of invisibility, which Sir Sagramor wears in a duel against Hank. Hank pretends that he can’t actually see Sir Sagramor, satirizing the superstitions about magic, as well as the institution of chivalry, prominent in medieval England.

Through the juxtaposition of incongruous societies, Mark Twain pokes fun at human society 1300 years before Twain’s time, while also demonstrating parallels between people then and now.

For contemporary satirical journalism, The Onion and Reductress are both generally examples of Horatian satire, though both are occasionally Juvenalian.

Juvenalian Satire Examples

While Juvenalian satire can certainly make readers laugh, the intent is to ridicule the actions and philosophies of certain societies and institutions. As such, the following Juvenalian satire examples often bear resemblance to the politics of their times, taking political philosophies to their logical extremes.

1. “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift

“A Modest Proposal” is quintessential Juvenalian satire. Written in 1729, the essay satirizes British policy concerning Ireland, as Britain’s occupation of the Irish state routinely caused famine and strife. The essay was originally published under the title “A Modest Proposal For Preventing the Children of Poor People From Being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and For Making Them Beneficial to the Publick.”

The essay’s satire is effective precisely because of its shock value. Swift first describes the plight of Ireland, particularly the suffering of its many beggars and hungry citizens. Then, without warning, Swift’s essay pivots to the nutritional value of eating 1 year old babies (a juxtaposition of incongruous features, and an argument taken to its logical extreme).

Much of the essay is then devoted to the logic behind eating infants: the many ways they can be cooked, the financial benefits, and how it will resolve other issues like murder and taxation. The essay amounts to an argument that is almost convincing. If the reader doesn’t think about the morality of eating children, the satire is almost actually effective in proposing that the consumption of infants is pragmatic policymaking.

Nonetheless, the reader comes to sympathize with the Irish and hate the narrator of the essay, effectively undermining the policymaking decisions of 18th century Britain. Because this essay is criticizing British policymakers and their treatment of the Irish people, there is no doubt that the caustic tone of this piece makes it Juvenalian satire.

You can read “A Modest Proposal” for yourself at Project Gutenberg .

2. Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm is a Juvenalian satire that retells the establishment of the Soviet Union with farm animals in place of political leaders. As such, it adapts the form of the fable into a satirical novella about Trotsky, Lenin, Stalin, and the dramas that unfolded with the overthrow of the Russian monarchy.

Animal Farm begins on an old, dilapidated farm, run by the careless taker Mr. Jones, who represents the monarchy. The pigs band together around the wisdom of Old Major, an elderly pig who represents Lenin, as well as Karl Marx and his teachings. Inspired by the prospect of freedom from Mr. Jones, the animals revolt and claim the farm for themselves.

Much like the beginnings of the Soviet Union, the newly run Animal Farm begins in prosperity. The animals work to modernize the farm and make it self-sustaining, able to nurture all of the animals equally.

Before long, however, some of the farm’s leaders begin to grapple for power. Snowball, who represents Trotsky, tries to maintain the ideals of equality and progress espoused by Old Major (a philosophy called Animalism in the book). Napoleon, who represents Stalin, wants to seize power for himself. To do this, he uses a pig called Squealer, who represents Molotov, the Soviet Union’s head of propaganda. Squealer convinces the farm animals that Snowball is conspiring against the farm, even though it’s really Napoleon who’s conspiring.

The novella then follows how Napoleon abuses the language of progress to satisfy his own needs, hoarding wealth from the farm animals he claims to represent.

What makes this a work of Juvenalian satire? For one, it’s no subtle insult that the leaders of the Soviet Union are represented by pigs. But the work’s satire comes from its farcical resemblance to Europe’s political situation in the first half of the 20th century. Orwell takes Soviet propaganda to its logical extreme, showing how easy it is to manipulate an entire farm (or country!) through the manipulation of words and ideas.

3. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Another work of mid-century satire, Brave New World satirizes the ideal utopian society, presenting a world in which everyone is happy and nothing has meaning. In the novel, people are artificially manufactured and born into a certain social class, based on the intelligence and strength they are bestowed upon their manufacturing.

The novel primarily follows Bernard Marx, a high class citizen who starts to question the social structures of the utopia. The society functions in large part due to Soma, a drug that manufactures happiness and is frequently taken by all citizens of the world. Soma allows people to be satisfied with their place in society, so nobody questions the flaws in this apparent utopia—except for Bernard, who doesn’t consume the drug, as well as Bernard’s friend Helmholtz, a writer who struggles to write when he can’t experience his own suffering.

The novel follows Bernard’s reckoning with society, including his witnessing the lives of Native Americans who don’t live in the modern world, and what happens when those Native Americans, who don’t live a manufactured life, find themselves in the manufactured realities of the “utopia.”

What makes this a piece of satire is the extension of social ideals to their logical extremes. For example, the people in Brave New World are sexually liberated, in part because the society has controlled for the possibilities of pregnancy and STIs. When John, a Native, falls in love with Lenina Crowne, he ends up committing suicide because he can’t support her sexual freedom, suggesting there’s a certain loss of humanity that comes from this liberation.

Another example is a satire of contemporary media. Before John commits suicide, he exiles himself to a lighthouse, where he self-flagellates in the hopes of purifying himself of modern civilization. What he doesn’t know is that he is secretly being filmed. When that film is released, all of society zeroes in on John and his strange behavior. This spectacle resembles, in large part, our contemporary lust for information, to the point that we invade each others’ privacy. Huxley wrote this novel far before the advent of social media, but now that we’re constantly filming each other for fame and spectacle, how far off was he?

How to Write Satire

How did the great satirists of history pull off such effective works of literature? In addition to having savage wits and keen eyes for politics, satire writers followed a few strict rules. Here’s how to write a satire in 5 steps.

1. How to Write Satire: Familiarize yourself with satirical techniques

Satire is a difficult genre to pick up, which makes it essential to read like a writer . Read the satire examples we included in this article, and analyze how the following satirical techniques are employed:

Logical Extremes
Juxtaposition of Incongruous Features

These elements of satire, when employed strategically, combine to make effective, poignant, and gut-busting stories.

2. How to Write Satire: Begin with a topic or issue you’d like to satirize

Satire can criticize both local issues and global ones. The Canterbury Tales satirizes the stories and personalities prominent in medieval England; conversely, Brave New World criticizes the Western view of utopia and the direction of global society.

Regardless of what issue you choose, do your research. It’s important to understand the arguments for and against a certain issue, and the logic and reasoning behind those arguments. That way, you can take those arguments to their logical extremes, undermining the rhetorical strategies used in favor of the issue you’re against.

For example, let’s say you wanted to write a piece of satire on removing the penny from U.S. circulation. An argument in favor of this is that it could curb inflation. You could then take this argument to its logical extreme. Imagine a country in which we made every coin out of pure gold, and everyone starts fighting with each other for change? Or, imagine a country in which the lowest monetary denomination is the $10 bill, and, again, everyone starts fighting with each other for change?

3. How to Write Satire: Build a narrative

Once you have a topic and a stance on that topic, build a story around the argument you’re trying to undermine.

This is where the art of storytelling , and elements like character, plot, and setting, can prove extremely useful. For example, read this brief Horatian satire from The Onion: ‘ This City. These People. All Sheep, And I Am Their Shepherd,’ Says Eric Adams, Looking Out Over New York .”

NEW YORK—Clasping his hands behind his back and looking out over Manhattan’s iconic skyline, New York mayor Eric Adams was reported to have said, “This city. These people. All sheep, and I am their shepherd,” as he launched into a monologue Wednesday. “I and I alone am the line between order and chaos, guiding toward the light these confused, woeful masses who wander in darkness,” said Adams, who reportedly cast his gaze on the citizens below and contemplated how fortunate they were to have a place in the palm of his merciful hand. “Without me, without my power and my will, each of these 8 million souls would be condemned to a wretched life and death amidst a twisted, seething cesspool of humanity. As they cling to a crumbling precipice, they reach out, in their desperation, to the one man whose whims control their destiny: to me, to their protector, to New York’s greatest benefactor, to Eric Adams!” At press time, sources reported Adam had retired for the night to his apartment in New Jersey.

If you know anything about New Yorkers, you know we always hate the mayor. Let’s deconstruct what this piece is doing:

The issue: At the time of this article’s publication, Adams has been NYC mayor for just over 4 months. In that time, he’s had a formidable media presence, but he often sounds a bit self-aggrandizing when he talks about the city and the role he’s going to play in running it. In a recent video message, he’s quoted saying “I will not stop until the peace we deserve becomes the reality we experience.” The issue is that the mayor might be all words, no action—especially when those words are already overwrought.

The satire : This article amps up the melodrama, taking Adams’ speech to a logical extreme. The parody of his melodrama builds Adams up to be a god-like figure, as he is the difference between “order and chaos,” between “life and death.” He is even “the one man whose whims control [New York City’s] destiny.”

The storytelling: This article makes a sort of caricature of Adams. A caricature is a type of characterization in which the character is one dimensional and distorted for the audience’s pleasure. The story, here, is that Adams went off on a monologue before retiring to his non-NYC apartment, making the story’s structure a satire for his administration: all talk, no action.

4. How to Write Satire: Surprise the reader

All works of satire have an element of surprise. The reader shouldn’t be able to expect where the story goes, otherwise it’s not doing a good job of delighting and provoking the reader. As such, your satire should have a twist, even if that twist doesn’t occur until the final sentence.

Pay attention to the twists in the above satire examples. In “A Modest Proposal,” the twist is the proposal itself: that the solution to Ireland’s poverty is to cook and consume 1 year olds. In The Onion article about Eric Adams, the twist is that he goes home to New Jersey.

The twist should both surprise the reader and advance a certain satirical argument. Whatever you do, be clear about what you’re mocking and criticizing, because this will inform what your twist is and help you stick the landing.

5. How to Write Satire: Edit for clarity and laughs

Can you make your story more ironic, hyperbolic, or realistic? Are you juxtaposing unalike items in clever ways? Is it clear who or what your satire is criticizing? Ask yourself these questions as you edit your piece: the goal is to distort reality just enough that the reader knows this is satire, but to still be hyperbolic and ironic, even if the work is more Juvenalian than Horatian.

Learn How to Write Satire at Writers.com

Ready to laugh at the world? The instructors at Writers.com are eager to help you polish your works of satire. Take a look at our upcoming writing courses , and write satirical stories and books alongside our award-winning instructors .

Sean Glatch

Excellent presentation, Sean. It gave me some structural ideas for a collection of poems and epistles in the vein of Horace and Juvenal. I’ve previously published a parody of Voltaire’s Candide. My story is called: The Alchemy of Happiness. ( which is the title of a book by a Muslim scholar from the 10th century.

This article was very informative. Never before did I realize how this kind of literary work employed so many advanced literature concepts. I have never had to call to action this many skills for one satirical essay. I am definitely using different parts of my brain.

What Is Satire?

Definition of "satire".

Table of Contents

Examples of Satire

More examples of satire, why satire is important, what is satire for.

If voting changed anything, they would make it illegal.
Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation.
When I was a boy, I was told that anybody could become President. Now I'm beginning to believe it.

This button uses irony to attack the idea of censorship.

satire example, save the Earth, save the twinkie

"When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth." (Playwright George Bernard Shaw)

Using satire is an effective way to undermine your target.

I am a brilliant swimmer.
John is a brilliant swimmer.

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Satire Examples in Literature

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If you are into watching late night shows such as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert or The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, you may have noticed that they would always invite special celebrities on their show to simply make merry and joke with them on set. But there are days that they bring up today’s societal issues and comment them in a way to get the audience’s attention in a form of wit and humor. That figure of speech is often known as satire.

1. Literary Elements of Satire

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2. Satire Vocabulary Examples

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3. Satire Assignment Structure

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4. An Introduction to Satire

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5. Tone and the Elements of Satire

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6. Brief History of Satire Template

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7. Satire and Parody Example

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8. Defending the Media in Satire Cases

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9. Restoration Satire Example

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10. Literary Form Satire Example

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What Is Satire?

This figurative language is usually meant to be humorous in order to engage the masses through constructive social criticism, using wit to draw attention to both particular and wider issues in different cultures , subcultures , and society. Now, satire is considered to be a genre of literature. But over time, the form has constantly evolved, making its way into graphic and performing arts, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, corporations, government, or society itself into improvement.

How to Write Using Satire

Satire when used in writing is a tool that helps in putting humor, irony or exaggeration as a means to make the audience, the readers, or the target audience have a little laugh at the topic at hand. When you want to use satire in your writing, you must also be very careful at the tone , jargon , and your writing technique. Here are steps to using satire in writing.

Step 1: Choose and Research on Your Target Topic

When using satire on your writing, make sure to choose and do your research on your target topic. When you plan to write about social issues, political figures, etc. and you want to use satire on them, doing your research should be the number one priority. Understand your topic well enough before you write them in a satirical manner.

Step 2: Choose the Right Tone and Use the Correct Satire Technique

Choose the right tone and use the correct satire technique. Remember to always make sure that the literary tone of your writing fits the target audience, the topic, and your writing style. Using a good satire technique will include adding the right parody, irony, sarcasm, and humor. All the while hinting at the right target.

Step 3: Be Careful with Your Humor When Using Satire

In step 2, it is stated the a good satire technique includes humor, however, this can be a little bit tricky. You must be very careful with how you are going to induce humor in your satiric writing. Be careful not to offend or belittle your target readers or your audiences.

Step 4: Do a Test Draft First on Your Satire Writing

In order to get an idea on how good your satire writing is, it always best to do a test draft first. Test your satire writing with your friends or colleagues to get a good and honest feedback about it.

What is satire used for?

One feature of satire is a strong irony or strong sarcasm, or can also be for situational irony —”in satire, irony is militant”—but parody, burlesque, exaggeration, juxtaposition , comparison, analogy , and double entendre are all frequently used in satirical speech and descriptive writing . This “militant” irony or sarcasm often professes to approve of the very things the satirist wishes to attack.

What other examples can be used for satire?

Satire in Literature, satire in everyday life, satire in music, satire in movies. There are a lot of ways satire can be represented.

What are the four techniques of satire?

These are the four techniques on how satires can be written. Exaggeration, incongruity, reversal, and parody.

We hope you found our article on satire to be informative. Satire brings humor to oftentimes bleak circumstances. If you are planning to apply satire in your future write-ups or compositions, this guide is best for you.

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10 Examples of Public speaking

20 Examples of Gas lighting

Figure of Speech

Definition of figure of speech.

you fit into me like a hook into an eye a fish hook an open eye

Types of Figures of Speech

The term figure of speech covers a wide range of literary devices, techniques, and other forms of figurative language, a few of which include:

Common Examples of Figures of Speech Used in Conversation

Understatement.

Understatement is a figure of speech that invokes less emotion than would be expected in reaction to something. This downplaying of reaction is a surprise for the reader and generally has the effect of showing irony .

A pun is a figure of speech that contains a “ play ” on words, such as using words that mean one thing to mean something else or words that sound alike in as a means of changing meaning.

Common Examples of Figure of Speech in Writing

Euphemism is a figure of speech that refers to figurative language designed to replace words or phrases that would otherwise be considered harsh, impolite, or unpleasant.

Personification

Writing figure of speech.

Here are some ways that writers benefit from incorporating figures of speech into their work:

Figure of Speech as Artistic Use of Language

Figure of speech as entertainment for reader, figure of speech as memorable experience for reader, examples of figure of speech in literature, example 1: the great gatsby (f. scott fitzgerald).

In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.

Example 2: One Hundred Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)

Both described at the same time how it was always March there and always Monday, and then they understood that José Arcadio Buendía was not as crazy as the family said, but that he was the only one who had enough lucidity to sense the truth of the fact that time also stumbled and had accidents and could therefore splinter and leave an eternalized fragment in a room.

In this passage, Garcia Marquez utilizes personification as a figure of speech. Time is personified as an entity that “stumbled” and “had accidents.” This is an effective use of figurative language in that this personification of time indicates a level of human frailty that is rarely associated with something so measured. In addition, this is effective in the novel as a figure of speech because time has a great deal of influence on the plot and characters of the story. Personified in this way, the meaning of time in the novel is enhanced to the point that it is a character in and of itself.

Example 3: Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)

A book is a loaded gun in the house next door…Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man?

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Literary Terms
Definition & Examples
When & How to Use Sarcasm

I. What is Sarcasm?

Sarcasm is a form of verbal irony that mocks, ridicules, or expresses contempt. It’s really more a tone of voice than a rhetorical device. You’re saying the opposite of what you mean (verbal irony) and doing it in a particularly hostile tone.

Sarcasm comes from the Greek words “sark” meaning “flesh,” and “asmos” meaning “to tear or rip.” So it literally means “ripping flesh” – a pretty bloody image for a type of speech that we use all the time!

II. Examples of Sarcasm

Oh yes, you’ve been sooooo helpful. Thanks sooooo much for all your heeeelp .

Imagine someone saying this to a customer service agent, drawing out the syllables and maybe rolling their eyes. You’d know pretty quickly that they meant the opposite of what they were saying. That verbal irony plus the mocking or derisive tone makes it sarcasm.

I made the genius choice of selling my car right before I decided to move

Sarcasm doesn’t always have to be vicious or mean. It can also be humorous, playful, or (as in this example) self-deprecating. Again, verbal irony plus the tone of voice makes this sarcasm.

III. The Importance of Sarcasm

Because it’s a tone rather than a rhetorical fact, sarcasm by definition can only be used in dialogue. It would describe a way that one character talks to another. This can have all kinds of effects, but generally it shows that the speaker is being impatient or contemptuous. It’s also a sign of disrespect toward the person being addressed, so the use of sarcasm can provide clues as to the relationship between the two characters .

The broader category of verbal irony has other uses, but sarcasm in particular is purely a quality of a character’s speech, and therefore its function is to reveal aspects of that character’s personality.

Sarcasm can say many different things about a character, depending on the way they use it, but most often sarcastic characters are cynical, slightly bitter, solitary, and perhaps arrogant. Think, for example, of Dr. Cox from Scrubs – he often uses verbal irony to mock other characters in the show, especially the protagonist, J.D. However, like many sarcastic characters, Dr. Cox is more often brutally honest than sarcastic. That is, he doesn’t employ verbal irony at all – he says exactly what he means, which is the opposite of irony. And, as we’ve already seen, if a line is not verbally ironic, then by definition it cannot be sarcastic. But it can still be sardonic and cynical , which are probably the two most common character traits expressed through the use of sarcastic dialogue.

IV. Examples of Sarcasm in Literature

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Was there a lack of graves in Egypt, that you took us away to die in the wilderness? (Exodus 14:11)

In one of the earliest examples of sarcasm, one of the Israelites walks up to Moses and poses this sarcastic question. If the Israelites were just going to die in the desert, then what was the point of leaving Egypt in the first place? We can easily imagine the speaker’s tone: irritated, biting, and scornful. And of course he doesn’t actually think that there’s a “lack of graves in Egypt.”

The noble Brutus hath told you Caesar was ambitious: if it were so, it was a grievous fault, and grievously hath Caesar answer’d it. (Shakespeare, Julius Caesar )

Shakespeare imagines Mark Antony delivering a thoroughly sarcastic speech at the funeral of Julius Caesar. He frequently refers to Brutus, Caesar’s murderer, as “noble” and “honorable,” but the content of the speech clearly shows that Mark Antony believes the opposite about Brutus.

V. Examples of Metaphor in Pop Culture

Oh, just get a job? Yeah, why don’t I just strap on my job helmet and squeeze down into a job cannon, and fire off into jobland where jobs grow on jobbies! (Charlie, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia )

When someone tells Charlie that he needs to get a job, he launches into a bitterly sarcastic tirade about the suggestion. He’s trying to emphasize how hard it is to get a job, and he uses this biting tone to mock his friends’ blasé suggestion that all he needs to do is go out and find one.

Truly, you have a dizzying intellect. (Wesley, The Princess Bride )

Wesley famously uses this line to dismiss the intelligence of Vizzini the Sicilian. But Vizzini is so self-involved that he doesn’t even catch the sarcasm, and thinks that Wesley is genuinely complementing him. This reinforces the point of Wesley’s insult.

I take risks, sometimes patients die. But not taking risks causes more patients to die, so I guess my biggest problem is I’ve been cursed with the ability to do the math. (Dr. House, House )

Dr. House is another character who is frequently sardonic, and ocassionally sarcastic. (Like Dr. Cox, his sardonicness usually takes the form of brutal honesty rather than sarcasm.) However, in this line he adds some verbal irony by suggestion that his ability to do the math is a “problem” and a “curse,” which is an ironic reversal of what he really means. Like many of House’s lines, this one uses sarcasm

VI. Related Terms

Verbal irony is one of the components of sarcasm. It just means saying the opposite of what one means. Verbal irony is always a feature of sarcasm.

There is another type of irony, situational irony , which refers to situations that violate our expectations in a humorous or striking way. This is quite different from sarcasm, and only tangentially related to verbal irony.

They sound similar, but don’t confuse the words “sarcastic” and “sardonic.”

Sarcasm is verbal irony expressed in a biting tone
Sardonic means “cynical” or “mocking”

So sarcasm is often sardonic – when a character uses sarcasm to mock someone else, it’s a sardonic comment. However, the key difference is that a sardonic comment is not necessarily ironic . It may say exactly what the speaker means, just in a mocking tone. For example:

I did not attend the funeral, but I sent a letter saying I approved of it. (Mark Twain)

This comment by Twain is certainly mocking – it expresses his displasure with the deceased in a pretty biting fashion. But it isn’t ironic, and therefore it’s not sarcasm (it’s much closer to brutal honesty than it is to sarcasm).

Though roughly synonymous with “sardonic,” cynicism is philosophy of life whereas sardonicness is a tone. Cynicism originally meant “appreciating the simple things in life,” but somewhere along the way that definition was swallowed up by a new one. These days, cynicism usually refers to a self-centered and suspicious view of life. Cynical people are deeply suspicious of sentimentality and “positive thinking,”

They tend to be pessimists, narcissists, and loners.

But, despite all these negative connotations of cynical people, they often make for extremely popular television characters. This is probably due to the fact that cynical, sardonic, and sarcastic lines are so good at producing a laugh.

Sarcasm is often used to ridicule or mock people, either jokingly or in earnest. In these situations, the sarcasm is also a form of satire . Satire is the use of verbal irony, humor, or charicature to make fun of a person or institution, epseically in a political context. But satire isn’t necessarily a form of sarcasm – there are plenty of ways to make political jokes, for example, without using verbal irony.

List of Terms

Alliteration
Amplification
Anachronism
Anthropomorphism
Antonomasia
APA Citation
Aposiopesis
Autobiography
Bildungsroman
Characterization
Circumlocution
Cliffhanger
Comic Relief
Connotation
Deus ex machina
Deuteragonist
Doppelganger
Double Entendre
Dramatic irony
Equivocation
Extended Metaphor
Figures of Speech
Flash-forward
Foreshadowing
Intertextuality
Juxtaposition
Literary Device
Malapropism
Onomatopoeia
Parallelism
Pathetic Fallacy
Personification
Point of View
Polysyndeton
Protagonist
Red Herring
Rhetorical Device
Rhetorical Question
Science Fiction
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Synesthesia
Turning Point
Understatement
Urban Legend
Verisimilitude
Essay Guide
Cite This Website

Satire and the Law: Hustler Magazine V. Falwell

This essay about Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Falwell explores the 1988 Supreme Court decision that addressed the balance between satire, free speech, and defamation law. The case arose from a satirical advertisement in Hustler Magazine mocking Jerry Falwell. The Court ruled in favor of Hustler, emphasizing that public figures must tolerate parody and ridicule under the First Amendment. The decision highlighted the importance of protecting satire as a tool for political critique and social commentary, shaping legal approaches to defamation and emotional distress claims in the context of free expression.

How it works

In the realm of American jurisprudence, few cases encapsulate the intersection of satire, freedom of speech, and defamation law as vividly as Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Falwell. This landmark 1988 Supreme Court decision arose from a legal battle between Larry Flynt’s Hustler Magazine and Jerry Falwell, a prominent televangelist and political figure. At its core, the case grappled with the question of whether a satirical advertisement could be deemed actionable as libel or intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The origins of the case lie in a parody advertisement featured in Hustler Magazine, which humorously suggested that Jerry Falwell’s “first time” was a drunken, incestuous encounter with his mother in an outhouse.

Undoubtedly crude and offensive to many, the advertisement was intended as a satire of Falwell’s public persona rather than a statement of fact. However, Falwell argued that the parody was not only defamatory but also inflicted severe emotional distress upon him and his family.

The legal journey of Hustler v. Falwell ultimately led to the Supreme Court, where the justices grappled with the delicate balance between protecting individual reputations and upholding the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech. In a unanimous decision, the Court ruled in favor of Hustler Magazine, asserting that the parody did not constitute actionable defamation or infliction of emotional distress. Justice William Rehnquist, writing for the Court, emphasized that public figures like Falwell must tolerate a higher degree of criticism, parody, and even ridicule under the principles of free speech.

The significance of Hustler v. Falwell extends beyond its immediate legal implications. It underscored the Court’s commitment to safeguarding robust debate, even when expressed in forms that some might find offensive or distasteful. The decision reinforced the principle that satire and parody play a crucial role in political discourse, often serving as potent tools for criticism and social commentary.

Moreover, the case highlighted the evolving societal attitudes toward satire and its boundaries in the realm of public discourse. While satire has a long history as a vehicle for social critique and humor, its legal treatment has not always been straightforward. Hustler v. Falwell contributed to a broader understanding that satire, by its nature, involves exaggeration, ridicule, and irony—elements that may challenge conventional norms but are protected under the umbrella of free expression.

In practical terms, the aftermath of the case led to a more nuanced approach in legal circles when evaluating claims of defamation and emotional distress arising from satirical works. Courts have since been cautious not to stifle creative expression or criticism, recognizing that robust public debate often involves sharp and provocative rhetoric that may offend or discomfort.

Ultimately, Hustler v. Falwell remains a pivotal case in American jurisprudence, reminding us of the complexities inherent in balancing individual reputation with the broader societal benefits of free speech. It underscores the Court’s commitment to protecting even controversial forms of expression, ensuring that satire continues to serve as a vital tool for social commentary and political critique in the United States.

In conclusion, while Hustler v. Falwell centered on a provocative and controversial parody, its legacy lies in reinforcing the constitutional protections afforded to satire and free speech. The case continues to resonate as a testament to the enduring principles that animate America’s commitment to open debate, even when that debate takes unconventional or discomforting forms.

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18th Century Verse Satire

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Satire
Common Examples of Satire. Many common forms of media, art and entertainment reflect satire, including movies, magazines, newspapers, novels, poetry, short fiction, drama, and even visual art. Satire can be overt or subtle, but it is prevalent throughout history and in popular culture. Here are some common and familiar examples of satire ...
Satire
Satire is the use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Public figures, such as politicians, are often the subject of satire, but satirists can take aim at other targets as well—from societal conventions to government policies. Satire is an entertaining form of social commentary, and it occurs in many forms ...
Satire Examples and Definition
There are many different ways that people satirize popular culture. Here are some non-literary examples of satire: Steven Colbert: Steven Colbert is a popular media figure who has built his career on pretending to be a self-righteous and highly opinionated commentator.His satire is based on parroting popular opinions or government officials' ideas and taking them to the furthest extent ...
Satire: Definition and Examples
This type of satire is similar in harshness to Juvenalian, but it attacks a more general target. An example is religious satire, which attacks sacred figures or religious beliefs. Horatian. This type of satire makes fun of things in a soft or even loving manner. It's usually a form of parody that is intended to make people think. IV.
Satire Examples in Literature and Modern Life
Satire examples help show the different approaches of this literary device. Get an inside look at the meaning of satire with classic and modern examples.
Satire
Classification of Satire. Satires generally attack and ridicule foibles and vices but are typically categorized into three as outlined below:. 1. Juvenalian Satire. Juvenalian satire uses irony in a somewhat harsh and abrasive tone to ridicule societal structures, power, civilization, public figures, institutions, and other topical vices.
What Is Satire?
Satire is a text or performance that uses irony, derision, or wit to expose or attack human vice, foolishness, or stupidity. Verb: satirize. Adjective: satiric or satirical. A person who employs satire is a satirist . Using metaphors, novelist Peter De Vries explained the difference between satire and humor: "The satirist shoots to kill while ...
Satire in Literature: Definition & Examples
Satire is meant to critique people, power, and society in an entertaining way. Satirists set out to expose the flaws in current systems or ways of thinking in hopes of informing, educating, and improving humanity. Humor is a central component of many satires, but comedy is not the sole purpose of the satire.
What is Satire || Definition & Examples
Juvenalian satire tends to be more bitter and dark, expressing anger and outrage at the state of the world. A famous example of Juvenalian satire is by another eighteenth-century writer, Jonathan Swift. A Modest Proposal is a prose pamphlet that initially appears to be a serious, well-intentioned attempt to suggest a solution to what was a major problem at the time: the impoverished state of ...
Satire
Satire Definition. Satire is a method employed by writers to show and criticize foolishness and corruption of an man or woman or a society, by using using humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule. It intends to enhance humanity by means of criticizing its follies and foibles. A author in a satire makes use of fictional characters, which stand ...
Satire
satire, artistic form, chiefly literary and dramatic, in which human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to censure by means of ridicule, derision, burlesque, irony, parody, caricature, or other methods, sometimes with an intent to inspire social reform.. Satire is a protean term. Together with its derivatives, it is one of the most heavily worked literary ...
What Is Satire? How to Use Satire in Literature, Pop Culture, and
Satire is so prevalent in pop culture that most of us are already very familiar with it, even if we don't always realize it. Satire can be part of any work of culture, art or entertainment. It is an often-humorous way of poking fun at the powers that be. Sometimes, it is created with the goal to drive social change. Satire has a long history and it is as relevant today as it was in ancient Rome.
4 Types of Satire & Its Examples in Literature
Devices use in Satire: • Verbal irony. • Parody. • Anachronism. • Understatement. • Overstatement. Verbal irony: Speaker speaks words different to what he means. Parody: It is imitation of style used for exaggeration and to create comic effect. Anachronism: The thing is attributed to that period which actually is not belongs to.
Satire
The use of satire in literature refers to the practice of making fun of a human weakness or character flaw. The use of satire is often inclusive of a need or decision of correcting or bettering the character that is on the receiving end of the satire. In general, even though satire might be humorous and may "make fun", its purpose is not to ...
Satire Definition: How to Write Satire + Examples
Read the satire examples we included in this article, and analyze how the following satirical techniques are employed: Realism; ... taking Adams' speech to a logical extreme. The parody of his melodrama builds Adams up to be a god-like figure, as he is the difference between "order and chaos," between "life and death." ...
Satire: Definition and Examples of Satire in Conversation ...
Satire is a form of comedy in which irony, humour and exaggeration are used as a way of mocking or ridiculing a certain idea, belief or concept. It is very commonly used in order to mock politicians and their ideas, this is quite commonly done in the form of sketch shows on the TV or in cartoon strips in the newspaper.
What Is Satire?
Satire is the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize a person's or institution's flaws or vices. Satire uses comedy to highlight the failings of targets in the political arena. The aim of satire is to persuade the target to behave more appropriately by generating public sentiment against the target's current ways.
Satire Examples in Literature
Step 1: Choose and Research on Your Target Topic. When using satire on your writing, make sure to choose and do your research on your target topic. When you plan to write about social issues, political figures, etc. and you want to use satire on them, doing your research should be the number one priority.
Figures of Speech: Definition and Examples
A. Metaphor. Many common figures of speech are metaphors. That is, they use words in a manner other than their literal meaning. However, metaphors use figurative language to make comparisons between unrelated things or ideas. The "peak of her career," for example, is a metaphor, since a career is not a literal mountain with a peak, but the ...
Figure of Speech
A figure of speech is a word or phrase that is used in a non-literal way to create an effect. This effect may be rhetorical as in the deliberate arrangement of words to achieve something poetic, or imagery as in the use of language to suggest a visual picture or make an idea more vivid. Overall, figures of speech function as literary devices ...
Sarcasm: Definition and Examples
Sarcasm is a form of verbal irony that mocks, ridicules, or expresses contempt. It's really more a tone of voice than a rhetorical device. You're saying the opposite of what you mean (verbal irony) and doing it in a particularly hostile tone. Sarcasm comes from the Greek words "sark" meaning "flesh," and "asmos" meaning "to ...
Figures of Speech
Figures of Speech - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. figures of speech
Satire and the Law: Hustler Magazine V. Falwell
The Court ruled in favor of Hustler, emphasizing that public figures must tolerate parody and ridicule under the First Amendment. The decision highlighted the importance of protecting satire as a tool for political critique and social commentary, shaping legal approaches to defamation and emotional distress claims in the context of free expression.

Satire Definition

How to Pronounce Satire

Satire as Literary Device vs. Satire as Genre

Satire and Humor

Types of Satire

Literary Devices Used in Satire

Satire Examples

Satire in Literature

Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels

Satire in Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock

Additional Works of Satire in Literature

Satire in Film and Television

Satire in Political Cartoons

Satire in James Gillray's The Plumb-pudding in Danger

Why Do Writers Choose to Write Satire?

Other Helpful Satire Resources

Literary Devices

Significance of Satire in Literature

Examples of Satire in Literature

Test Your Knowledge of Satire

Definition & Examples of Satire

Scholars' Observations

Features of Satire

Classification of Satire

1. Juvenalian Satire

2. Horatian Satire

3. Menippean

Examples of Literary Works that depicts Satire

Similar Figures of Disguise

Recommended Books to Flex Your Knowledge

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"Facial Expressions" by Mark Simon is an expertly crafted guide that delves into the intricate language of the face, offering a nuanced understanding of expressions and their storytelling power.

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Eye contact is an important nonverbal social cue because it projects confidence and assertiveness. This book will turn you from that shy guy who rarely makes eye contact to the eye contact guru who makes elders nervous by looking them straight in the..

What Is Satire?

Observations

Twain on Satire

Housebroken Aggression

Satire in The Daily Show

The Rhetoric of Satire

The Stranger That Lives in the Basement

School of Writing, Literature, and Film

What is Satire? || Definition & Examples

What is Satire? Transcript (English and Spanish Subtitles Available in Video; Click Here for Spanish Transcript)

horatian_satire_snl.jpg

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Interested in more video lessons? View the full series:

Historical definitions

The nature of satire

4 Types of Satire & Its Examples in Literature

Devices use in Satire:

5 Examples of Satire

Kinds of Satire

Examples in Literature:

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Gulliver Travel by Jonathan Swift

“A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift

What is Political Satire?

Difference between Satire and Humor:

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Satire Definition: What is Satire?

Elements of Satire

Satire vs. Parody

Satire vs. Sarcasm

Satire in Poems