Satirical Poems

“Wit with a purpose—irony, parody, and pointed critique in verse.”

TitleAuthorType of Poem
’S Gravenhage - The HagueCharles G. LelandSatirical
A Ballad On The Game Of TrafficJonathan SwiftSatirical
A Ballad To The Tune Of The Cut-PurseJonathan SwiftSatirical
A Beautiful Young Nymph Going To Bed.Jonathan SwiftSatirical
A Blue Love Song. To Miss-----Thomas MooreSatirical
A Case Of LibelThomas MooreSatirical
A Character, Panegyric, And Description Of The Legion ClubJonathan SwiftSatirical
A CharacterlessThomas MooreSatirical
A Contented ManIvan Sergeyevich TurgenevSatirical
A Corrected Report Of Some Late SpeechesThomas MooreSatirical

Understanding Satirical Poetry

Satirical poems use wit, irony, exaggeration, and ridicule to expose folly—personal, social, or political. The aim isn’t just laughter: it’s critique that nudges readers toward insight or change.

Common characteristics of satirical poetry:

  • Targeted Critique: Focuses on specific behaviors, institutions, or ideas—often timely, sometimes timeless.
  • Tools of Irony: Uses sarcasm, parody, understatement, and hyperbole to sharpen the point.
  • Voice & Persona: Speakers may be unreliable or exaggerated to reveal contradictions and hypocrisy.
  • Form Flexibility: Appears in couplets, tercets, quatrains, blank verse, or free verse—music serves the mockery.
  • Moral Pressure: Beneath the humor lies ethical pressure—satire seeks reform, not merely amusement.
  • Public & Personal: Can lampoon public figures and trends or needle private vanities and everyday pretenses.

The best satire balances bite with craft: memorable lines that entertain while revealing the gap between how things are and how they ought to be.