Satire

Satire According to George P. Landow, Professor of English and Art History at Brown University, satire is derived “…from the Latin satira, meaning ‘medley.’ A satire, either in prose or in poetic form, holds prevailing vices or follies up to ridicule: it employs humor and wit to criticize human institutions or humanity itself, in order that they might be remodeled or improved. Satire as an English literary form derives in large part from Greek and Roman literature.” Alex Derwent Hope says satire “has a social function that places it on a level with Religion, Law, and Government. Though its tone may be light, its function is wholly serious; and as for passion, it is actuated by a fierce and strenuous moral and intellectual enthusiasm, the passion for order, justice, and beauty. . . It keeps the public conscience alert, it exposes absurdity for what it is and makes those inclined to adopt foolish or tasteless fashions aware that they are ridiculous. It shows vice its own feature and makes it odious to others. . . Satire is an aristocratic art. It is not afraid to tell unpopular truths, but its habit is to tell them satire, south, short, ridicule, park, makes, tell, television, span, shows, passion, parents, others, order, longer, government, function, form, english, chance, attention, art, america’s, acting, medley, cause, wit, wholly, weapon, ways, vices, vice, unpopular, university