Satirical Poems

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

TitleAuthorType of Poem
A Dan YellHenry LawsonSatirical
A Death-BedRudyard KiplingSatirical
A Dedication To Gavin Hamilton, EsqRobert BurnsSatirical
A Description Of A City ShowerJonathan SwiftSatirical
A Dialogue Between An Eminent Lawyer[1] And Dr. Jonathan Swift, D.S.P.D. In Allusion To Horace, Book II, Satire IJonathan SwiftSatirical
A Dos't O' Blues.James Whitcomb RileySatirical
A Dream Of HindostanThomas MooreSatirical
A Dream Of TurtleThomas MooreSatirical
A Friendly Apology For A Certain Justice Of PeaceJonathan SwiftSatirical
A General SummaryRudyard KiplingSatirical

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.