Free Essay

Satire Devices

In:

Submitted By ronsaha
Words 605
Pages 3
Satiric and Comedic Devices-- 1. Mockery--insulting or contemptuous action or speech 2. Malapropism--an act or habit of misusing words ridiculously, esp. by the confusion of words that are similar in sound. Ex. “make a cow” (from Banned Books article); "Oftentimes, we live in a processed world, you know, people focus on the process and not results." (George W. Bush); "He is the very pineapple of politeness." (Mrs. Malaprop in Richard Sheridan's The Rivals) 3. Pun--the humorous use of a word or phrase so as to emphasize or suggest its different meanings or applications, or the use of words that are alike or nearly alike in sound but different in meaning; a play on words. Ex. "Look deep into our ryes." (slogan of Wigler's Bakery); "Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." (Groucho Marx) 4. Understatement—1. A disclosure or statement that is less than complete. 2. Restraint or lack of emphasis in expression, as for rhetorical effect. 5. Hyperbole--Exaggeration--To represent as greater than is actually the case; to enlarge or increase to an abnormal degree 6. Irony--a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated. a. an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected. b. an objectively sardonic style of speech or writing c. an objectively or humorously sardonic utterance, disposition, quality, etc. 7. Sarcasm--A cutting, often ironic remark intended to wound; A form of wit that is marked by the use of sarcastic language and is intended to make its victim the butt of contempt or ridicule. 8. Litote--Litote is a kind of understatement, where the speaker or writer uses a negative of a word ironically, to mean the opposite. EG: She's not the friendliest person I know. (= she's an unfriendly person) 9. Tautology-- two near-synonyms are placed consecutively or very close together for effect. Ex. “didactic, instructional” (from “Advice to Youth”) and “Beseechingly, urgingly…” 10. Slang--an informal nonstandard vocabulary composed typically of coinages, arbitrarily changed words, and extravagant, forced, or facetious figures of speech 11. synonyms wit, humor, irony, sarcasm, satire, repartee mean a mode of expression intended to arouse amusement. a. wit suggests the power to evoke laughter by remarks showing verbal felicity or ingenuity and swift perception especially of the incongruous . b. humor implies an ability to perceive the ludicrous, the comical, and the absurd in human life and to express these usually without bitterness . c. irony applies to a manner of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is seemingly expressed . d. sarcasm applies to expression frequently in the form of irony that is intended to cut or wound . e. satire applies to writing that exposes or ridicules conduct, doctrines, or institutions either by direct criticism or more often through irony, parody, or caricature . f. repartee implies the power of answering quickly, pointedly, or wittily . 12. Parody--a literary or musical work in which the style[pic] of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule 13. Mondegreen—(newer device) Words that result from the mishearing or misinterpretation of a statement or song lyric.Ex. “Hold me closer Tony Danza” (from Hold me closer tiny dancer by Elton John); "I led the pigeons to the flag" (for "I pledge allegiance to the flag"); "the girl with colitis goes by" (for "the girl with kaleidoscope eyes," in "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," by the Beatles.)

Information from: www.merriam-webster.com www.grammar.about.com www.dictionary .reference.com

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Compare the Way in Which Both Writers Use Satire as a Device to Continue the Accepted Female Roles in Their Respective Society

...Compare the way in which both writers use satire as a device to continue the accepted female roles in their respective society Margaret Atwood and Mary shelly use satire as a device to criticise the accepted roles of women in their respective societies. Shelly magnifies the popular ‘angel of the house figure’ in order to critique the expectation that women must remain pious and devoted to their male counterparts more over this male dominated Chinese box narrative is reflective of Shelley’s attempt to distance female voices in order to highlight the powerful patriarchal society in which Shelley herself and other females were subjected to in the 1800s. Oppositely Attwood uses Offred as a mouth piece to denounce the unrealistic ideals that women faced in the previous 1980s American society but her conformity to the totalitarian regime allows Attwood to effectively condemn the new gender roles which have been assigned to the women. Conceivably women with in the 1980s enjoyed liberation added by the gains of the second wave feminist movement contrastingly the 1800s confined women to a domestic bubble where her only role was to fulfil their maternal duties. The 60s and 70s encapsulate the removal of conservative views and the emergence into a new age where women governed their own lives and experienced a sense of autarchy never seen previously. Attwood thus uses the hand maid’s tale to reassert the thoughts of whether the freedom is experienced is sustainable or rather an illusion...

Words: 785 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Sonnet 130- Literary Devices

...LITERARY DEVICES ARE USED BY SHAKESPEARE TO PUT FORTH HIS IDEAS IN SONNET-130? IS HE COMPLETELY ANTI-PETRARCHAN? [16] 1st part The language spoken and written of great romances is often poetic, passionate, and filled with metaphors of beauty and devotion. In short, the language of love is the language of exaggeration. William Shakespeare ‘s most powerful description of love is when he satirizes this method of writing and in so doing instead claims that honesty and sincerity are the greatest literary devices when speaking the language of love. Shakespeare's sonnet number 130 demonstrates this. This sonnet hooks the reader from the very outset while maintaining sonnet structure and using literary devices as a source of irony. Shocking the reader by using an unconventional method of satire to introduce a topic is the most effective way to hook an audience. Shakespeare begins his sonnet with the line; "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun -" (line 1). The reader immediately becomes curious to the poet’s reasoning for speaking in this tone. The first quatrain of this poem introduces the topic of beauty.The second quatrain enhances the topic and adds sentiment. In the first quatrain he describes the looks of his mistress, while in the second quatrain he relates how these looks affect him. The third quatrain releases this sentiment, the narrator concludes that he is aware of the ordinary nature of his mistress. The sonnet also satirizes literary devices such...

Words: 643 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Huckleberry Finn Satire

...In order to create a witty remark or clever joke, one requires two things; a somewhat humorous topic and a punch line. Without these two components, a joke will most likely be unsuccessful. One can increase the power and humor of the joke by adding other elements such as irony, sarcasm, etc.; a true comedian however does not always have to make the joke obvious. If one is a true jokester, the potency of the remark speaks for itself. Just as one-liners require certain components to be successful and vary with regards of genre, satire also requires mastery. Satire, in itself, is the use of literary devices and humor to cause amusement from the reader, while also hinting at a deeper message or meaning. There are two types of satire; Horational...

Words: 552 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Through a Close Examination of Two or Three Passages from ‘Scoop’ and Consideration of Other Examples of Satire That You Have Read, Explore How ‘Scoop’ Works as a Satire.

...from ‘Scoop’ and consideration of other examples of satire that you have read, explore how ‘Scoop’ works as a satire. ‘Scoop’, published in 1938, was one of Evelyn Waugh’s earliest novels. In this novel Waugh presents a humorous and satirical view on Fleet Street journalists and their frenzied hunt of a scoop. Other novels, such as ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ by Jonathan Swift and ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell, both portray satirical messages throughout. In ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, Swift satirises human nature, and the political system and government. He uses Gulliver as a satirical device, and in order to portray the sarcasm and over-exaggeration of what Swift is satirising, he sends Gulliver on three journeys to strange lands, where he encounters odd people and thing, more tools that Swift uses. Gulliver's first journey takes him to the Land of Lilliput, where the local inhabitants of the land are six inch tall beings and he is a giant. His next journey brings him to Brobdingnag, where his situation is reversed, and he is a midget among giants. His third journey leads him to Laputa, a floating island which is inhabited by strange beings who derive their whole culture from music and mathematics. And finally Gulliver's fourth journey places him in the land of the Houyhnhnm, a society of intelligent, reasoning horses. By creating these four mysterious, ridiculous yet rather amusing journeys, Swift is able to add irony and satire of the English political system and the human ways. ...

Words: 1494 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Satire

...various denominations. In the extract from Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven by Mark Twain, Captain Stormfield gives his account of his time in heaven. Patricia Glinton-Meicholas also gives an account of heaven in the extract from How to Be a True-True Bahamian. Both extracts discuss their expectations of heaven, using satire to expose people’s vices. The extracts although seemingly similar are very different, both have a different view on what heaven should be given through the eyes of two very different people. Glinton-Meicholas gives a view of heaven through a modern day Bahamian who sees heaven being as much like the United States as possible; whereas, Twain gives a view from the perspective of a captain from San Francisco around the early 1900s. Throughout this essay we will focus primarily on the differences between these two extracts and how they use rhetorical techniques to deliver their underlying critiques. In both the extract of Glinton-Meicholas and Twain, they give accounts of heaven through the use of satire by exposing vices. Satire is a literary device used to utilizes humor to expose moral corruption and human vices. In Twain’s extract, satire is used to make fun of the way people view heaven. Most people see heaven as an “easy street”. A place where everything will be freely given and nothing has to be worked for. Twain makes fun of this by exposing using the choir that everyone looks forwards to hear. It’s humorous because everyone in this extract, when they...

Words: 1966 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

A Modest Proposal

...under England’s control. Legislation was enacted by England that severely limited the rights of the Irish to hold government office, purchase real estate, get an education, and advance themselves in other ways. As a result, many Irish fled to foreign lands, including America. Most of those who remained in Ireland lived in poverty, facing disease, starvation, and prejudice. By the 1720’s, Ireland was overly occupied and a majority were the poor lower class. In Jonathon Swift’s essay, “A Modest Proposal”, Swift uses the literary devices satire, persona, and logos to emphasize the poor quality of living and overpopulation of the inhabitants of Ireland, and calls for a renovation of the current system through the cooperation of the classes thus showing that one voice, can be a loud one. Swift uses many rhetorical devices throughout the work to demonstrate the necessity of change to the current lifestyle of the lower class. This essay is well known for its’ satire, which Swift uses throughout the whole composition, trivializing the poor conditions of the low Irish class. “A young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricase, or a ragoust.” (672) The satirical statement that people should begin selling their own children to be eaten emphasizes the extent the economic and population crisis has come to in Ireland. Families whom are in severe...

Words: 1285 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Horatian and Juvenalian Satire

...Horatian and Juvenalian Satire Satire has many definitions, but according to Merriam Webster satire can be defined as “A literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn” (Webster). This definition is likely used by many authors who exercise the application of satire. Satire has been in literature since ancient times; it is derived from the Latin satura, meaning "dish of mixed fruits," (Weisgerber). Many satirists have shared a common aim: to expose foolishness in all its guises — vanity, hypocrisy, formalism, reverence, and the intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself (Moyers). As previously mentioned, the term satire was originally derived from satura, defined by Quintilian, a roman rhetorician (Clarke). It was later discovered that two Roman poets, Juvenal and Horace, were responsible for further defining satirical works by their literary tone (Moyers). Thus, creating a systematic way to categorize satire into two different types, Horatian satire which approaches satirical observations, literature and performance in a humorous and lighthearted manner, and Juvenalian satire, which focuses on specific verbal or literary attacks on corrupt ideals or individuals (Weisgerber). I view Horatian satire as clever and humorous and find that it generally mocks others. Horatian is not negative; it aims to make fun of human behavior in a comic way. In a work using Horatian satire, readers often laugh at the characters in the story who are...

Words: 1893 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

How Is Satire Used In Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy

...Satire is a form of comedy, that's a fact. It can be used just for the laughs or it can be used as a way to shed light on a serious topic. In Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams, satire is used for comedic effect and laughter. The Vogons with their extensive amount of paperwork and extremely bureaucratic nonsense, Zaphod Beeblebrox shedding light on the stupidity of politicians, and human reliance on machines. All of these ideas are meant to make fun of our society. On the other hand, Jonathan Swift's piece "A Modest Proposal" uses satire to correct a situation. He proposes that the children of poorer families be used as a food source during the potato famine. Both writings use satire in one form or another, but Adams uses satire as a form of entertainment, while Swift uses it to correct a societal ill. One of the main uses of satire in A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is the inefficiency of bureaucracy. He displays this idea in the form of the...

Words: 1218 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Literary Handouts

...and evocative qualities, in addition to, or in lieu of its apparent meaning. Elements of poetry: • Imagery-“word pictures” • Form o Meter o Stanza o Rhyme o Rhythm o Pattern/Style • Tone-mood • Persona-speaker • Figurative Language o Simile o Metaphor o Personification o Hyperbole o Irony o Apostrophe • Musical Devices o Onomatopoeia o Alliteration o Consonance o Assonance o Repetition • Theme o Symbolism Fiction is any form of narrative which deals, in part or in whole, with events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary and invented by its author(s). In contrast to this isnon-fiction, which deals exclusively in factual events. Elements of Fiction • Plot o Exposition o Rising action o Conflict  Man vs Man  Man vs Society  Man vs Himself  Man vs Nature  Man vs Fate, Supernatural, Technology o Climax o Falling Action o Resolution • Setting o Social context o Mood • Characterization o Direct o Indirect • Point of View o First person o Objective o Omniscient o Limited Omniscient • Theme • Literary Techniques o Irony  Verbal  Dramatic  Situational o Mood o Satire  Horatian • Named for the Roman satirist, Horace, this playfully criticizes some social vice through gentle, mild, and light-hearted humour. It directs...

Words: 444 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Ghuf F Ff

...1. What elements of satire did you notice upon your first read of the article? The Onion uses a satirical tone to draw attention to the public’s gullibility and the advertising industry’s power. There is a touch of humor throughout the article that mocks the exaggerated diction advertisers use in real life. The article even goes as far as to make up its own scientific diction including the change of neutrons into “comfortrons” and nuclei to “pain-nuclei.” 2. What rhetorical strategies contribute to the satire? How are they effectively used? The use of numerous hyperboles throughout article brings awareness to the fact that advertisements do the same thing, over-exaggerations. The article in its entirety is ironic, it is an advertisement making fun of advertisements, which adds some humor to the criticism. 3. What are the key differences between student response 2A and student response 2B? How do you account for the three point difference in scores? The difference between 2A and 2B is that essay 2A provided evidence and explained in detail the rhetoric devices and how they were used effectively; 2B on the other hand simply just answered the prompt. 4. Explain the score received by the writer of 2C. Where do you think this writer might have missed an opportunity to craft a much stronger essay? Where are the opportunities for improvement? I believe the writer could’ve crafted a much stronger essay if they thoroughly understood what the prompt was asking. It seemed...

Words: 357 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Rhetorical Analysis of "Apple Creates a Revolutionary New Laptop"

...The Onion The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is a newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national and local news. Most of its humor depends on presenting everyday events as newsworthy and by playing on commonly used phrases. The Onions satire of brand obsession of Mac user’s gullibility may not be so effective to most PC users because of its excessively sarcastic caricature of macheads. The Onion introduces the latest of Apple’s gadgets the macbook wheel, a revolutionary laptop that does away with the keyboard. Replacing the keyboard is a huge button like the ones seen in apples iPod’s. At first glance it might seem that the laptop would fit apples modo of “simpler is better” however the onion plays with sarcasm stating “everything is just a hundred clicks away.” They also introduce Alex Zalban an apple fanatic who spent forty five minutes writing an email only about three sentences long with a vast amount of grammatical errors. The macbook geek speaks about the macbook wheel and says he likes how at the end of the email it says “sent from a macbook wheel”, that way people know you have one. This again is the onions creative way of making fun of macheads. Another way the onion excessively makes fun of macheads is by the price of the device which is just under twenty six hundred dollars for the lower end macbook wheel. Alex Zalban the machead then states, “I’ll buy anything that’s shiny and made by apple.” Shortly...

Words: 420 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Satire in "White Noise, "

...qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwer...

Words: 834 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Sonnet 130:- Literary Devices

...LITERARY DEVICES ARE USED BY SHAKESPEARE TO PUT FORTH HIS IDEAS IN SONNET-130? IS HE COMPLETELY ANTI-PETRARCHAN? [16] 1st part The language spoken and written of great romances is often poetic, passionate, and filled with metaphors of beauty and devotion. In short, the language of love is the language of exaggeration. William Shakespeare ‘s most powerful description of love is when he satirizes this method of writing and in so doing instead claims that honesty and sincerity are the greatest literary devices when speaking the language of love. Shakespeare's sonnet number 130 demonstrates this. This sonnet hooks the reader from the very outset while maintaining sonnet structure and using literary devices as a source of irony. Shocking the reader by using an unconventional method of satire to introduce a topic is the most effective way to hook an audience. Shakespeare begins his sonnet with the line; "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun -" (line 1). The reader immediately becomes curious to the poet’s reasoning for speaking in this tone. The first quatrain of this poem introduces the topic of beauty.The second quatrain enhances the topic and adds sentiment. In the first quatrain he describes the looks of his mistress, while in the second quatrain he relates how these looks affect him. The third quatrain releases this sentiment, the narrator concludes that he is aware of the ordinary nature of his mistress. The sonnet also satirizes literary devices such...

Words: 635 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Analysis of Voltaire's Candide; a Non-Satirical Composition of the Most Satirical Piece of Literature

... Westley Allen AP Literature Miss Gwaltney April 29, 2013 Through literary devices such as persuasion, sarcasm, and elegant rhetorics, Voltaire successfully composes possibly the most well-known satirical pieces of literature. Mad magazine, The Simpsons, and Saturday Night Live, examples of some of the comical staples that satiate our desire for humor. In our society, satire is among the most prevalent of comedic forms. This was not always true. Before the 18th century, satire was not a fully developed form. Satire, however, rose out of necessity; writers and artists needed a way to ambiguously criticize their governments, their churches, and their aristocrats. By the 18th century, satire was hugely popular. “Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face but their own”. (Swift) Satire as an art form has its roots in the classics, especially in the writings of Voltaire. Satire as it was originally proposed was a form of literature using sarcasm, irony, and wit, to bring about a change in society, but in the eighteenth century Voltaire, Jonathan Swift and William Hogarth expanded satire to include politics, as well as art. The political climate of the time was one of tension. Any criticism of government would bring harsh punishments, sometimes exile or death. In order to voice opinions without fear of punishment, malcontented writers turned to satire. Voltaire’s Candide and Swift’s Modest Proposal are two examples of this new genre....

Words: 1326 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Satirical Devices in Chapter 4 of Gulliver's Travels

...Satirical Devices in Chapter 4 of Gulliver's Travels When you read Gulliver's Travels in the light of it being a satire, the stories are still humorous, but you realize that Swift was making a public statement about the affairs of England and of the human race as a whole. In the 4th chapter of the first part of this novel, we can find many rhetorical devices that prove that this work is a satirical novel. The first voyage captures the reader's attention on the way that Swift uses to apply to the real world a new scale, of much lower dimensions. This scale forces us to see this fictional world in a telescopically way. All this is an example of exaggeration and fantasy that is used in so many times during this novel. At the same time, Swift uses this new scale to convert physical smallness in moral smallness so making these topics smaller, Swift makes them look grotesque and insignificant, although at that time they were of vital importance. In this book, Swift by describing the ridiculous system of Lilliput's government, is satirizing the English system of government. He uses parallelisms that seem absurd at first glance but make more sense when you look at them carefully. We can see some details on the Lilliputian life which are references to political and religious life of Swift's time. There is a clear parallelism between the two worlds: this tiny world and Swift's world, which is an example of wit. Besides, It is not difficult to see that the two Parties fighting under the...

Words: 431 - Pages: 2