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Satire plays a prominent role in poetry, exposing human follies and vices for ridicule and contempt. It is a fiercely intellectual and morally enthusiastic tool that can be overdone if not tempered. Satire in poetry retains its “gritty” quality due to the precision and brevity of the medium. It functions as a living social commentary, expressing difficult truths through abstract language and shared understanding. Satire in poetry can be lighthearted or serious, adding dimension and depth to the work.
Satire, commonly defined as a work of literature, performed or constructed that exposes common human follies and vices for the reader or viewer to ridicule and despise, features prominently in the art of prose construction. Some writers see the role of satire in poetry as two intertwined intellectual processes that sometimes lead to the intense expression of unconsciously repressed feelings. The first outing is often seen as craze, or in other words, having a “good laugh” while reading or hearing about the village drunk, for example. Thus, the second output is that of contempt, which is present when the audience laughs and belittles the same village drunk, either in the reader’s mind or out loud during a stage performance. Derwent Hope, a famous modern Australian poet, reiterates the role of satire in poetry by discussing its use as a fiercely intellectual and morally enthusiastic tool that lends itself to highly effective creative writing.
Compared to the use of other literary models, such as novels and plays, satire in poetry retains its “gritty” quality more prominently than the formats mentioned above, and has been described by some critics as “undignified” or “obscene ” when not tempered. One reason why the role of satire in poetry is so pronounced is due, in part, to the fact that poetry is precise, constrained, and relatively short discourse. In other words, the irony and satirical content of a well-written poem stick out like a sore thumb. This is in contrast to longer literary compositions which maintain a series of “straight” humorous themes that keep the audience in a light, non-judgmental frame of mind.
If the satire is overdone in any genre, most literary critics conclude that the piece becomes too “preachable” and predictable. The concept of cynicism can be thought of as related to satire and can be seen in many poems, especially if the subject is related to government, church, or politics. However, more lighthearted banter can be seen in Dorothy Parker’s poems in the 1920s and 1930s. Some of her best-known topics of hers involved the timeless humor of miscommunication between men and women and the hardships of parenting.
In the past, such as during the Greek and Roman empires, poetry and satirical drama were largely directed at the aristocratic populace. In these cases, satire provided a release for men and women, who maintained an air of nobility and generosity, to let themselves go emotionally. Another social concept, which begins around the same cultural period and continues into modern poetry, writing and recitation, is that satire in poetry functions as a type of living social commentary. It’s about expressing truths that are difficult for the audience to emotionally engage with and relate to.
For example, news that oozes corruption in a country’s governmental structure could induce strife. If recited in a crowd, it might incite a riot, but tempered by laughter and shared understanding through satire, audience reaction is deflated, aided also by the abstract language of the poem, fear and distrust of funny social banter. While a poem’s tone can be light, most maintain a tenuous balance between being jovial and serious, adding dimension, depth, and an interesting juxtaposition of language for the reader.
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