Satirical Poems

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

TitleAuthorType of Poem
To A Lady Who Desired The Author To Write Some Verses Upon Her In The Heroic StyleJonathan SwiftSatirical
To A Louse, On Seeing One In A Ladys Bonnet, At ChurchRobert BurnsSatirical
To John Goudie Of Kilmarnock. - On The Publication Of His EssaysRobert BurnsSatirical
To John Ruskin. (After Reading His "Modern Painters.")Francis William Lauderdale AdamsSatirical
To Lady Heathcote, On An Old Ring Found At Tunbridge-WellsThomas MooreSatirical
To Lord Harley, On His Marriage[1], October 31, 1713Jonathan SwiftSatirical
To Love[1]Jonathan SwiftSatirical
To Mr John Moore, Author Of The Celebrated Worm-Powder.Alexander PopeSatirical
To Sir Hudson LoweThomas MooreSatirical
To The Author Of A Poem Entitled SuccessioAlexander PopeSatirical

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.