Satirical Poems

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

TitleAuthorType of Poem
The Hot SeasonOliver Wendell HolmesSatirical
The IncantationBanjo Paterson (Andrew Barton)Satirical
The Instructors.Johann Wolfgang von GoetheSatirical
The Insurrection Of The Papers. A DreamThomas MooreSatirical
The Jaffa And Jerusalem RailwayEugene FieldSatirical
The Kirks Alarm;[1] A Satire. (First Version.)Robert BurnsSatirical
The Kirks Alarm. - A Ballad. (Second Version.)Robert BurnsSatirical
The Limbo Of Lost Reputations. A DreamThomas MooreSatirical
The Living Dog And The Dead Lion.Thomas MooreSatirical
The Lover In HellStephen Vincent BenetSatirical

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.