SatireENC 1101

absurdity An idea taken to its

logical extreme

Caricature A representation, especially

pictorial or literary, in which the subject's distinctive features or peculiarities are deliberately exaggerated to produce a comic or grotesque effect. Sometimes caricature can be so exaggerated that it becomes a grotesque imitation or misrepresentation. Synonymous words include burlesque, parody, travesty, lampoon.

hyperbole A figure of speech using

deliberate exaggeration or overstatement. Hyperboles sometimes have a comic effect; however, a serious effect is also possible. Hyperbole often produces irony at the same time.

Here once the embattled farmers stood,And fired the shot heard round the world. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, (The Concord Hymn)

understatement The ironic minimizing

of fact, understatement presents something as less significant than it is. The effect can frequently be humorous and emphatic. Understatement is the opposite of hyperbole.

It isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain. —J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

parody An intentional

mockery

wit In modern usage, wit is

intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights. A witty statement is humorous, while suggesting the speaker's verbal power in creating ingenious and perceptive remarks. Wit usually uses terse language that makes a pointed statement.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."~Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

"I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance. Ignorance is a delicate exotic fruit, touch it and the bloom is gone."~The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde

euphemism A nice way to talk

about unpleasant things

irony The contrast between

what is stated explicitly and what is really meant; the difference between what appears to be and what actually is true. Irony is used for many reasons, but frequently, it's used to create poignancy or humor.

sarcasm From the Greek meaning,

"to tear flesh," sarcasm involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something. It may use irony as a device, but not all ironic statements are sarcastic. When well done, sarcasm can be witty and insightful; when poorly done, it's simply cruel.

"Thrift, thrift, Horatio! The funeral bak'd meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables." › from Hamlet Act 1

Scene 2 where Hamlet's uncle and his mother are congratulated for their thriftiness, whilst also pointing out that the funeral was barely over, before the wedding began.

allusion A direct or indirect

reference to something that is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. Allusions can be historical, literary, religious, or mythical. A work may simultaneously use multiple layers of allusion.

juxtaposition Placing dissimilar

items, descriptions, or ideas close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.

Incongruity To present things that are out of place

or absurd in relation to the surroundings› Oxymorons, irony, and metaphors

reversal To present the opposite of the normal

order; reversal can focus on the order of events or hierarchical order

Two types of satire Horatian

› Gentle, urbane, smiling› Aims to correct with

broadly sympathetic laughter

› The vices and follies satirized are not destructive; however, they reflect the foolishness of people, the superficiality and meaninglessness of their lives, and the barrenness of their values.

› Ex) The Simpsons; “The Rape of the Lock” by Alexander Pope

Juvenalian› Biting, bitter, angry› Points out the corruption

of human beings and institutions with contempt

› sees the vices and follies in the world as intolerable.

› Juvenalian satirists use large doses of sarcasm and irony

› Ex) A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift