Satire is one of the oldest literary devices of the English language. Its origin and use date far back in history. Roman scholars and poets such as Marcus Terentius Varro, Menippus, Petronius, and Gaius Lucilius were very fond of using satire in their literary work. Gaius Lucilius is considered one of the earliest satirists in history. It is Lucilius’ work that motivated the Roman educator and rhetorician Marcus Fabius Quintilianus to claim that satire was a Roman phenomenon, “Satura tota nostra est.” This means, “Satire is wholly our own.” With this, Quintilianus was referring to a specific tone that the Lucilian work had. The Greek poet of old Attic comedy, and also a comic playwright, Aristophanes was also known to use satire in his work. However, the Greeks did not have a specific name for Aristophane’s ridicule (although his was a form of satire). So much for history, Let’s define satire for a better understanding.

The definition of satire

Great lexicographers like Samuel Johnson define satire as, “A poem in which wickedness or folly is censured.” Other writers say that satire is a genre that holds human nature up to criticism and scorn. Some writers may argue that satire is a literary device. All these are valid definitions. This is how I define satire:

Satire is a genre and literary device in which follies or vices are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming, exposing, and criticizing society to encourage improvement or positive change. Satire uses humor, irony, exaggeration, and other literary tools for ridicule.

Examples of satire in literary work

Satire is mostly used in political cartoons,(you already know why). In 2013, a famous cartoon had a scene where a homeless man was using newspapers as a blanket. The headlines on those newspapers said things like, “Wall Street Soars” and, “Corporate Profits Booming.” Isn’t this ironic? The stock market is doing well yet poverty is at its extreme. It’s also humorous if you ask me.

George Orwell’s Animal Farm is another example of satirical work. Animal Farm ridicules Soviet Communism and the Russian Revolution. It is ironic and humorous that at first the animals on the farm believe they are all equal, but at the end of the book the animals have a different belief: “They are all equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

Examples of cartoons and TV programs that use satire:

Family Guy

The Simpsons

American Dad

Married with Children

The Colbert Report

Mr. Robinson

Types of satire

There are three main types of satire and they include:

Juvenalian satire

Menippean satire

Horatian satire

How to use satire

Create awareness to the reader

Satire is meant to ridicule the vices in society, create awareness by exposing the vices and shortcomings of the society to the reader. This will make your use of satire very effective.

Employ the use of other literary devices and tools

Employ humor, irony, hyperbole, allegory, and other devices in literature that can heighten the contrast in conditions (or standards) in society. Understatement can also work to make situations or ideas dramatic, which is effective for satirical work.

Sources

www.litcharts.com/literary-devices-and-terms/satire

https://literarydevices.net/Satire
https://writingexplained.org/grammar-dictionary/satire