Satirical Poems

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

TitleAuthorType of Poem
A Motto For Mr. Jason HasardJonathan SwiftSatirical
A New Song On Wood's HalfpenceJonathan SwiftSatirical
A New Year's Gift For Bec [1]Jonathan SwiftSatirical
A Panegyric On The DeanJonathan SwiftSatirical
A Pastoral BalladThomas MooreSatirical
A PinElla Wheeler WilcoxSatirical
A Prologue, Billet To A Company Of Players Sent With The PrologueJonathan SwiftSatirical
A Romance In Real (Academic) Life.Edward Woodley BowlingSatirical
A Satirical Elegy; On The Death Of A Late Famous General[1]Jonathan SwiftSatirical
A Serious Poem; Upon William Wood, Brazier, Tinker, Hard-Wareman, Coiner, Founder, And EsquireJonathan SwiftSatirical

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.