Satire

1. Satire ENC 1101

2. absurdity • An idea taken to its logical extreme

3. 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.

4. 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)

5. 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

6. parody • An intentional mockery

7. 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

8. euphemism • A nice way to talk about unpleasant things

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. juxtaposition • Placing dissimilar items, descriptions, or ideas close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.

13. Incongruity • To present things that are out of place or absurd in relation to the surroundings • Oxymorons, irony, and metaphors

14. reversal • To present the opposite of the normal order; reversal can focus on the order of events or hierarchical order

15. 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