Does it matter? You might have to pass an English
exam someday, but you'll have a long life past that we hope, and where else
will it be important to qualify the dividing line between irony and sarcasm,
parody and satire?
Yes, there are grammar-nazis on the Net who will
leap upon you with satirical sarcasm if you call something a "parody" that
was actually a "burlesque." But most of them are travesties themselves.
You can already tell if a writer is having fun with
a subject or poking fun at it, so what else do you need to know?
There are so many variants to this subject that this Primer is divided into a series of parts:
Each section includes definitions from A Glossary of Literary Terms by Robert Harris, combined with an analysis of the uses and effect of the form or technique, quoted examples from a variety of sources, discussion questions, practice exercises, and guidelines for critique.
Rant | Parody | Technique | Satire | Old Forms & New |
---|---|---|---|---|
Invective | Burlesque | Irony | Juvenalian Satire | The Novel of Manners |
Ridicule | Travesty | Hyperbole | Bardic Satire | The Picaresque Novel |
Mock Epic | Understatement | Lampoon | The Wessitur | |
Pastiche | Oxymoron | Sarcasm | ||
Tone | Horatian Satire |
All contents and images are created and copyrighted by Anitra Freeman, except quotes from published material, which are attributed to the author and used only for educational purposes. Others may use this material, on request, for personal or educational purposes where no fee is charged, with credit to the author and a link wherever possible.