satirical essay
Ironic written critique
A satirical essay is a piece of writing that uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or mock its subject—often social conventions, political figures, or human folly.
The form dates back centuries, with Swift's "A Modest Proposal" as the classic example.
Unlike straightforward argument, satirical essays make their point through wit rather than direct persuasion: Her satirical essay on wellness culture suggested we should all photosynthesize instead of eating.
- Jonathan SwiftDublin's savage satirist
- modest proposalDeliberately understated radical idea
- social normsShared behavioral expectations
- ironyMeaning opposite to words
- tongue in cheekHumorously insincere manner
cultural criticism · political corruption · human folly · Age of Enlightenment · Voltaire · Mark Twain · pen name · parody · false praise · sarcasm · public discourse · Dorothy Parker · wit · dead pan · Alexander Pope · mock-heroic · social commentary · rhetorical devices
- comedy writingjoke, jokes, comedy, parody, sarcasm
- satirelampoon, parody, parody account, spoof, caricature
- early literaturenovel, pamphlet, early novels, treatise, early poetry
- essaysSelf-Reliance, A Modest Proposal, collected works, anthologies, essayists
- samizdatsamizdat, underground press, underground newspaper, banned book, banned books
satirical essayeulogy
Tribute for the dead
panegyric · encomium · tribute · hagiography · testimonial
satirical essayapologia
Formal defense of views
defense · vindication · apology · puff piece · endorsement
satirical, satire, satirist, satirize, satirically, satiric, essay, essayist, essays