Satirical Poems

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

TitleAuthorType of Poem
A Simile; On Our Want Of Silver, And The Only Way To Remedy It.Jonathan SwiftSatirical
A Tale Of Two CitiesRudyard KiplingSatirical
A Truthful SongRudyard KiplingSatirical
A Vision SplendidVictor James DaleySatirical
A Word for the CountryAlgernon Charles SwinburneSatirical
A Word To Texas JackHenry LawsonSatirical
Abel And CainCharles BaudelaireSatirical
Address Of Beelzebub To The President Of The Highland SocietyRobert BurnsSatirical
Address To The DeilRobert BurnsSatirical
Address To The ToothacheRobert BurnsSatirical

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.