This essay purports to take a close look into some of the poems of Swift and so to draw
a conclusion whether Swift has only in his mind to mock people because of their moral
perversities and shortcomings when he is writing his satire or,besides doing that,he also
tries to change things within the social framework of the society on the strenght of the
cutting effect of his satires.The poems which will be studied is ''Lady's Dressing Room''
and ''Verses on the death of Dr.Swift''.
Before commencing with the ambitious task of trying to figure out the hidden meaning
which lays behind his satires,it would make sense to go into the root of the word ''satire''
and understand what it means. Satire is defined as a "keen or severe exposure of what in
public or private morals deserves rebuke''.Swifts describes it as a sort of glass wherein
beholders generally discover everybody's face but their own.
Photo of the book "Le satire e l'epistole di Q. Or...
Richard Duke's poem "A panegyrick upon Oates", a s...
Portrait of John Gay from Samuel Johnson's Lives o...In his words:''
When...values are at odds with behavior, the satirist tries to bring them back in line again or at least prevent the gap from widening" (Harris 2).This phrase may conduce one into
supposing that one dos not necessarily write satire to degrade or ridicule but also to teach
and edify.It is from this ambitious purpose of his that his satiric Works are so conspicuously
''disturbing'' and audacious so that he might draw people's attention to the subject he is
talking about.
Accordingly,the best definition of satire is that it is a literary device which mixes criticical
attitude with humour and wit for the simple reason that humanity may improve.A satire
should more present a remodeling of corrupted institutions and ways of thinking than trying
to be subversive.
The best satire does not seek to do harm or damage by...