SATIRE IN THE 18TH CENTURY ENGLISH POETRY

For latest job updates visit https://recruitmentportalngr.com/

During the Restoration and the eighteenth century, satire became a tool of writing poetry, drama and even prose. Satire is an artistic form, chiefly literary and dramatic, in which human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or short comings 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.

What is Satire?

Satire is a genre of literature, and sometimes graphic and performing arts, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement (Wikipedia). 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. 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. As funny as satire is, the purpose of satire is usually meant to be funny, its greater purpose is often constructive social criticism, using wit as a weapon.

The Nature of Satire

A common feature of satire is strong irony or sarcasm, but parody, burlesque, exaggeration, juxtaposition, analogy are all frequently used in satirical writing. This irony or sarcasm often professes to approve of the very things the satirist wishes to attack.

The word satire comes from the Latin word ‘Satur’ and the subsequent phrase ‘lanxsatura’. Satur meant ‘full’, but the juxtaposition with lanx shifted the meaning to ‘miscellany or medley’: the expression lanx satura literally means “a full dish of various kinds of fruits”.

For its nature and social role, satire has enjoyed in many societies a special freedom license to mock prominent individuals and institutions. The satiric impulse, and its ritualized expressions, carries out the function or resolving social tension. Institutions like the ritual clowns represent a safety value which reestablishes equilibrium and health in the collective imaginary which are jeopardized by the repressive aspects of society.

Satire in the 18th Century England

The 18th century was one in which exaltation of wit and reason came to the forefront of literature in the form of both Horatian and Juvenalian satires, which, through keen observation and sharp nimbleness of thought, exposed the superficial follies and moral corruption of society during the neoclassical period in Britain. Underneath the enlightenment ideals of rationality, order and knowledge, society embraced a pervasive obsession with “decorum”, a façade of established traditions and vanities, as well as an innate sense of moral and political supremacy.

Satires during this period aimed to point out the shortcomings of society through ridiculing unaccepted standards of thought, exposing Britain’s flaws and chastising the hypocrisy of the time. Enlightenment writers Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift used different mediums of satire, different types of logic, and different targets of ridicule in order to shine a light on separate aspects of British society, providing much needed criticism of the profuse moral corruption of a society that sometimes seemed to forget the true ideals of its age.

Pope and Swift, well known for their sharply perceptive works, both looked to rhetorical masters of the rational, classical past and their separate satirical archetypes for inspiration. Pope, in his “The Rape of the Lock”, is Horatian in tone, delicately chiding society in a sly but polished voice by holding up a mirror to the follies and vanities of the upper class. Pope does not actively attack the self-important pomp of the British aristocracy, but rather presents it in such a way that gives the reader a new perspective from which to easily view the actions in the story as foolish and ridiculous.

A gentle mockery of the upper class, more delicate and lyrical than his brutal counterpart, Pope nonetheless is able to effectively illuminate the moral degradation of society to the public. Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” however, is a quintessential Juvenalian satire, shockingly revealing an often-overlooked dimension of British colonialism with regards to the Irish through savage ridicule and disdainful contempt. A bitter attack, Swift’s morbid tale delineates an immoral and perverse solution to Ireland’s economical woes using bizarre yet brilliantly clear logic and a detached tone in order to attack indifference to the poor. Swift’s satirical tone, relying on realism and harshness to carry its message, is much more ascorbic than his counterpart, perfectly displaying Juvenalian satire’s ability to shock and ridicule.

These two works of satire express their authors’ profound dissatisfaction with their society. Literature that pushes for reform of any kind, social or political, acts along with entrenched tradition itself, as a dialectic force: it is the synthesis of that which is and that which is wanted that nudges society to a certain direction. Both Pope and Swift used their considerable literary talents to illuminate contemporary society, forcing them to acknowledge the shortcomings of the Neo-classical period and to move forward into a new era of true enlightenment with regards to social and political morality.

CONCLUSION

Most of the Neo-classical works most especially poetry was based on satire. Nevertheless, the poetry of Neo-classical period was also based on reason and wit. Satire then became an important tool during the Neo-classical period when the upper class had set itself pompously on the affairs of England, poets used satire to deflate the pomposity.

In this article, we have been able to see the meaning of satire, its nature and how it was being used in the 18th century England.

 

Download all job past questions & answers here to get ahead of others in getting that your dream job – Download here now!

81 Comments

  1. I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own blog and was curious what all is required to get setup?
    I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny?
    I’m not very web savvy so I’m not 100% sure. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.

    Many thanks

  2. реклама instagram алматы, реклама в инстаграм
    цена у блогеров сени ешкимге бермеймин сурамасын
    автор, клара толенбаева сени
    ешкимге бермеймин текст
    қытай халқының қонақ күту дәстүрі, қонақ күту дәстүрі туралы нақыл сөздер қалың ел,
    қалың елім қазағым қайран жұртым көтерілген
    мәселе

  3. ата анамды үлгі тұтамын эссе, ата ана туралы эссе 6 сынып сыбайлас жемқорлыққа қарсы әділет,
    сыбайлас жемқорлыққа қарсы заң текст
    аттахият и салават, салават текст ата
    ананың сабаққа қатысуы,
    ата ана міндеттері балабақшада

  4. туған күні бойынша психотип согласование эскизного проекта, кто согласовывает эскизный проект шығармашылық табыс тілеймін, ұстаз әріптестерге тілек ілімге толса көкірек эссе, ілімге
    толса көкірек идеясы

  5. ең алғашқы кітапхана, әлемдегі ең ірі кітапхана ауа
    райы доссор 10 кун, прогноз погоды
    доссор 7 дней photo finish smooth & blur, smashbox photo finish primer
    2 сынып оқушыларының жазатын
    жазба жұмысы, математика пәнінен дәптер
    тексеру анықтамасы

  6. An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a co-worker who
    had been conducting a little research on this. And he in fact ordered me lunch because I found it for him…
    lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the meal!!
    But yeah, thanx for spending the time to talk about this subject here
    on your site.

  7. үстелдегі ет туралы армандады жылдамдық туралы суреттер, жылдамдық есептер физика среднее количество осадков
    в китае, климат южного китая қазақстанда көппартиялық жүйе қалыптасты, қазақстанда
    көппартиялық жүйе қалыптасты қай жылы

  8. Hey! I understand this is sort of off-topic however I had to ask.
    Does operating a well-established website like yours take a lot of work?
    I’m brand new to operating a blog but I do write in my
    diary on a daily basis. I’d like to start a blog so I can share my own experience and
    views online. Please let me know if you have any kind of suggestions or tips for brand new
    aspiring bloggers. Appreciate it!

  9. жүректегі күз 46 бөлім қазақша, жүректегі күз
    117 бөлім қазақша дискавери боровое
    цены, дискавери боровое аквапарк классные чины прокуратуры рк, почетный работник прокуратуры рк саранча 2 сезон смотреть онлайн, саранча смотреть онлайн 1 сезон

  10. майл гороскоп для льва завтра карта четверка
    пентаклей к чему снится собака которая нагадила в доме
    таро медитации скачать бесплатно к чему
    снится кормить кошку во сне для женщины

  11. сонник много насекомых в квартире иерофант намерения мужчины, иерофант что думает
    обо мне видеть во сне уток и гусей
    закрыть мужчину от всех женщин заговор снилось раскрошившийся
    зуб

  12. Good day! This is kind of off topic but I need some help from an established blog.
    Is it tough to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal
    but I can figure things out pretty fast. I’m thinking about setting up my own but I’m not sure where to start.
    Do you have any points or suggestions? Thank you

  13. Its such as you read my thoughts! You seem to grasp a lot approximately
    this, such as you wrote the ebook in it or something.

    I believe that you just can do with a few percent to force the message house
    a little bit, however instead of that, this is fantastic blog.
    A great read. I’ll certainly be back.

  14. Do you mind if I quote a few of your articles as long as I
    provide credit and sources back to your blog? My blog site is
    in the exact same area of interest as yours and my visitors would certainly benefit from some of the information you provide here.
    Please let me know if this ok with you. Many thanks!

  15. Have you ever thought about creating an ebook or guest
    authoring on other sites? I have a blog centered on the same topics you discuss and would really like to have you share some stories/information. I know my viewers would
    value your work. If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an e-mail.

  16. Do you mind if I quote a few of your posts as long as I
    provide credit and sources back to your blog? My blog is in the exact same
    area of interest as yours and my users would truly benefit
    from some of the information you present here. Please let me know if
    this alright with you. Thanks a lot!

  17. I loved as much as you will receive carried out right here.
    The sketch is attractive, your authored material stylish.
    nonetheless, you command get got an edginess over that you wish be delivering the following.
    unwell unquestionably come further formerly
    again since exactly the same nearly very often inside case you shield this hike.

  18. I’ve been surfing online greater than three hours nowadays, yet I by no means found any
    fascinating article like yours. It is lovely value enough
    for me. In my view, if all site owners and bloggers made good content as you
    did, the net will be a lot more useful than ever
    before.

  19. I’d like to thank you for the efforts you have put in penning this website.
    I really hope to see the same high-grade content by you later on as well.
    In truth, your creative writing abilities has
    inspired me to get my own site now 😉

  20. Simply want to say your article is as astonishing.
    The clarity in your post is just excellent
    and i can assume you are an expert on this subject. Well with your permission allow me to grab your feed to keep up to date with
    forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please keep up the rewarding work.

  21. Hi there would you mind letting me know which
    webhost you’re working with? I’ve loaded your blog in 3
    completely different internet browsers and I
    must say this blog loads a lot quicker then most.

    Can you suggest a good hosting provider at a fair price? Thanks a lot, I
    appreciate it!

  22. I have been exploring for a bit for any high-quality articles or weblog
    posts in this kind of house . Exploring in Yahoo I eventually stumbled upon this website.
    Studying this information So i’m satisfied to convey that I have an incredibly excellent uncanny feeling I came upon just what I needed.
    I such a lot no doubt will make sure to don?t fail to remember
    this website and give it a look regularly.

  23. Howdy I am so happy I found your blog page, I really found you
    by error, while I was looking on Yahoo for something else, Regardless I am
    here now and would just like to say thanks a lot for a incredible post
    and a all round entertaining blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read
    it all at the moment but I have bookmarked it and also added in your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read much more, Please do keep up the superb work.

  24. I was curious if you ever thought of changing the structure of your
    blog? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.
    But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so
    people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or two
    pictures. Maybe you could space it out better?

  25. Hello very cool web site!! Guy .. Beautiful .. Superb ..

    I’ll bookmark your web site and take the feeds also?
    I am glad to search out a lot of useful info right
    here in the put up, we need develop extra techniques in this regard, thank you for
    sharing. . . . . .

  26. Hello there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that it is really informative.
    I’m gonna watch out for brussels. I will be grateful if you continue this in future.
    Many people will be benefited from your writing.
    Cheers!

  27. Woah! I’m really digging the template/theme of this blog.
    It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s difficult to get that “perfect balance” between superb usability and appearance.
    I must say you have done a superb job with this. Also, the blog loads extremely quick for me on Opera.
    Excellent Blog!

  28. It is perfect time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy.
    I’ve read this post and if I could I wish to suggest you few interesting things or suggestions.
    Maybe you could write next articles referring
    to this article. I wish to read even more things about it!

  29. Hello! Would you mind if I share your blog
    with my facebook group? There’s a lot of folks that I think would really appreciate
    your content. Please let me know. Cheers

  30. I was curious if you ever thought of changing the structure of your blog?
    Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could
    a little more in the way of content so people could
    connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or two images.
    Maybe you could space it out better?

  31. It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! I’d without a doubt donate to this excellent
    blog! I suppose for now i’ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account.
    I look forward to fresh updates and will talk about this website with my Facebook group.
    Chat soon!

  32. Good blog you have got here.. It’s difficult to find excellent writing like yours these days.

    I seriously appreciate people like you! Take care!!

  33. Hi there, I discovered your blog by means of Google while looking
    for a related subject, your site got here up,
    it seems to be great. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.

    Hi there, simply became alert to your weblog via Google, and found that it’s truly informative.
    I am going to watch out for brussels. I will appreciate if you happen to
    continue this in future. Lots of other people might be benefited from your writing.
    Cheers!

  34. You’re so cool! I do not suppose I have read something
    like that before. So nice to find somebody with a few original thoughts on this subject.

    Seriously.. thank you for starting this up. This website is something that is needed on the internet,
    someone with a little originality!

  35. Quality articles or reviews is the key to invite the viewers to
    pay a visit the site, that’s what this web site is providing.

  36. I enjoy what you guys are usually up too. Such clever work and exposure!
    Keep up the great works guys I’ve added you guys to my own blogroll.

  37. I was very happy to find this web site. I need to to thank
    you for ones time for this fantastic read!!
    I definitely appreciated every little bit of it and i
    also have you saved as a favorite to look at
    new stuff on your website.

  38. It’s amazing to go to see this web page and
    reading the views of all mates on the topic of this paragraph, while I am also keen of getting
    experience.

  39. Whoa! This blog looks exactly like my old one!
    It’s on a entirely different topic but it has pretty much
    the same page layout and design. Great choice of colors!

  40. Asking questions are truly nice thing if you are not
    understanding something fully, but this piece of writing gives pleasant understanding even.

  41. Hi there! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering if
    you knew where I could find a captcha plugin for
    my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having problems finding one?
    Thanks a lot!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*