The Elements of Satire

1
The Elements of Satire

• Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer,
  And without sneering teach the rest to sneer
  Willing to wound, and yet afraid to strike, Just
  hint a fault, and hesitate dislike Alike
  reserv'd to blame, or to commend, A tim'rous foe,
  and a suspicious friend.
• Alexander Pope
• Satire should, like a polished razor keen, Wound
  with a touch that's scarcely felt or seen.
• -Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

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What is satire?

• Comes from the latin word satura, meaning dish
  of mixed ingredients.
• A technique in which a writer ridicules or
  criticizes a person, group, institution or event
  using certain literary devices.
• Usually witty.
• Almost always sarcastic or ironic.
• Usually has a tone of mock-approval
  sarcastically supporting the very thing it is
  criticizing.
• How does the definition of satire relate to its
  latin root?

3
Forms of Satire

• Drama (Tartuffe Moliere, The Importance of
  Being Earnest- Oscar Wilde)
• Journalism (The Onion)
• Fiction (A Modest Proposal Jonathan Swift,
  The Lowest Animal The Adventures of
  Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain, )
• Poetry (The Rape of the Locke Alexander Pope,
  various Jonathan Swift poems)
• Graphic Arts (editorial cartoons)
• Television programs (Saturday Night Live, The
  Chapelle Show, The Daily Show)
• Music (With God on Our Side Bob Dylan, Dont
  Drink the Water Dave Matthews band, Our Town
  The GoGos)

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Literary Devices in Satire

• Verbal irony/sarcasm
• Euphemism
• Parody
• Juxtaposition (especially of normal and
  ridiculous situations)
• Antithesis
• Elevated diction/jargon
• Double entendre
• Hyperbolic overstatement/exaggeration
• Comparison/analogy
• Contrived diction/ ridiculous examples

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Verbal Irony

• Discuss What is verbal irony?
• Example These shows feature scintillating shots
  of trucks being unloaded, sewing machines humming
  along and paint rollers being pushed up and down
  walls.
• Discuss Explain the verbal irony in the previous
  quotation. How does it add to the satirical tone
  of the piece?

6
Euphemism

• Discuss What is euphemism?
• Example sexually ambiguous young male
  designers
• Discuss Explain the euphemism. How does it add
  to the satirical tone of the piece?

7
Parody

• Discuss What is parody?
• Example PIMP MY TAX RETURN! Teams of comely
  accountants trick out your1099 with chrome
  loopholes.
• Discuss Explain this example of parody and
  discuss how it adds to the satirical quality of
  the piece.

8
Juxtaposition

• Discuss What is juxtaposition?
• Example GUESS MY TRANSPLANT! Each contestant
  has a major organ transplant, and friends and
  family have to guess which one.
• Discuss Explain what two things are juxtaposed
  and how it adds to the satirical quality of this
  piece.

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Antithesis

• Discuss What is antithesis?
• Example One would think shows like this would
  be as boring as watching paint dry since they
  sometimes consist of watching paint dry. But
  viewers are enthralled!
• Discuss Explain this antithesis and discuss how
  it adds to the satirical quality of the piece.

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Elevated diction/jargon

• Discuss What is elevated diction?
• Examples begat, dictum, detritus.
• Discuss Why does the writer include elevated
  diction? How does it add to the satirical aspect
  of the piece?

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Double entendre

• Discuss Define double entendre.
• Example watching paint dry
• Discuss Explain the dual meaning of the phrase
  and how it contributes to the satirical tone of
  the passage.

12
Hyperbolic Overstatement/ Exaggeration

• Discuss What is hyperbole and exaggeration? Give
  your own example.
• Example the sort of den to wash away care and
  herald the coming of paradise on earth.
• Discuss What does this hyperbolic statement
  allude to and how does it contribute to the
  satirical tone of the piece?

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Comparison/Analogy

• Discuss Typically, what is the purpose of a
  comparison or analogy?
• Example they transform a once normal if
  unremarkable room into the interior design
  equivalent of the old Funkadelic concert
  costumes.
• Discuss What is the purpose of this analogy? How
  does it add to the satirical tone of the piece?

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Funkadelic!!!!
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Contrived diction/ ridiculous examples

• Find a made-up word or ridiculous situation in
  the article.
• who descend upon bland suburban rec rooms,
  closets and garages while the owner is away or in
  a coma.
• What makes this situation ridiculous? Are there
  any other examples in the article?

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Why Satire?

• Now that you know the elements of satire, what do
  you think makes satire effective? Why do writers
  use satire instead of criticizing the person,
  group or institution directly?

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Your Turn

• Read the article from The Onion and find examples
  of satirical devices. Then, write a Reading
  Response responding to the 2005 AP prompt.