Satirical Poems

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

TitleAuthorType of Poem
Divided DestiniesRudyard KiplingSatirical
Dog-Day ReflectionsThomas MooreSatirical
DutyArthur Hugh CloughSatirical
Election. (Prose)John HartleySatirical
EnigmaThomas MooreSatirical
Epilogue. Written For Lady Dacres Tragedy Of InaThomas MooreSatirical
Epistle From Captain Rock To Lord LyndhurstThomas MooreSatirical
Epistle From Erasmus On Earth To Cicero In The ShadesThomas MooreSatirical
Epistle From Esopus To MariaRobert BurnsSatirical
Epistle From Henry Of Exeter To John Of TuamThomas MooreSatirical

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.