Satirical Poems

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

TitleAuthorType of Poem
Epistle From Tom Crib To Big Ben.[1] Concerning Some Foul Play In A Late Transaction.[2]Thomas MooreSatirical
Epistle Of Condolence. From A Slave-Lord, To A Cotton-LordThomas MooreSatirical
Epistles To Several Persons: Epistle Iv, To Richard Boyle,Alexander PopeSatirical
Epistles To Several Persons: Epistle To Dr. ArbuthnotAlexander PopeSatirical
Epitaph On Holy WillieRobert BurnsSatirical
Epitaph XV. For One Who Would Not Be Buried In Westminster Abbey.Alexander PopeSatirical
Et Dona FerentesRudyard KiplingSatirical
Fables For The Holy Alliance. Fable I. The Dissolution Of The Holy Alliance. A DreamThomas MooreSatirical
Fables For The Holy Alliance. Fable Ii. The Looking-GlassesThomas MooreSatirical
Fables For The Holy Alliance. Fable V. Church And StateThomas 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.