Satire Notes

The 18th century was one in which exaltation of
wit and reason came to the forefront of literature

in the form of both Horatian and Juvenalian satires,
which, through keen observation and sharp
nimbleness of thought, exposed the superficial
follies and moral corruption of society during the
neoclassical period in Britain. Underneath the
enlightenment ideals of rationality, order and
knowledge, society embraced a pervasive
obsession with “decorum,” a façade of established
traditions and vanities, as well as an innate sense
of moral and political supremacy. Satires during
this period aimed to point out the shortcomings of
society through ridiculing accepted standards of
thought, exposing Britain’s flaws and chastising the
hypocrisy of the time. Enlightenment writers
Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift used different
mediums of satire, different types of logic, and
different targets of ridicule in order to shine a light
on separate aspects of British society, providing
much-needed criticism of the profuse moral
corruption of a society that sometimes seemed to
forget the true ideals of its age.
Pope and Swift, well known for their sharply

perceptive works, both looked to rhetorical masters
of the rational, classical past and their separate
satirical archetypes for inspiration. Pope, in his The
Rape of the Lock, is Horatian in tone, delicately
chiding society in a sly but polished voice by
holding up a mirror to the follies and vanities of
the upper class. Pope does not actively attack the
self-important pomp of the British aristocracy, but
rather presents it in such a way that gives the
reader a new perspective from which to easily view
the actions in the story as foolish and ridiculous. A
gentle mockery of the upper class, more delicate
and lyrical than his brutal counterpart, Pope
nonetheless is able to effectively illuminate the
moral degradation of society to the public. Swift’s
A Modest Proposal, however, is a quintessential
Juvenalian satire, shockingly revealing an often-
overlooked dimension of British colonialism with
regards to the Irish through savage ridicule and
disdainful contempt. A bitter attack, Swift’s morbid
tale delineates an immoral and perverse solution to
Ireland’s economical woes using bizarre yet
brilliantly clear logic and a detached tone in order
to attack indifference to the poor. Swift’s satirical
tone, relying on realism and harshness to carry its
message, is much more acerbic than his
counterpart, perfectly displaying Juvenalian satire’s
ability to shock and ridicule.
The Rape of the Lock assimilates the masterful
qualities of a heroic epic, yet is applied satirically to
a seemingly petty egotistical elitist quarrel. During
this time of literary prosper, epic poems such as
John Milton’s Paradise Lost were held in high
regard, due to their significant subject matter,
compelling heroes, and rich text. Pope follows this
grand form in The Rape of the Lock, ultimately
achieving a whimsical mock epic through his
mélange of the trifling and timeless. Despite the
likeness to historical epic pieces, this work displays
a light and playful tone, which illuminates the
idiosyncratic nature of the poem’s central conflict,
the Baron stealing, or “raping”, Belinda’s illustrious
lock of hair. “The meeting points the sacred hair
dissever from the fair head, forever and forever!
Then flashed the living lightening from her eyes,
and screams of horror rend the affrighted skies”
(Pope 153-156). This embellished and exaggerated
quotation is representative of the fundamental
elements of Horatian satire used in this mock epic.
Personification is employed to place emphasis on
the seemingly transcendent effects of Belinda’s
terror, as her screams “rend the affrighted skies.”
As read, this example makes a mockery of the
traditional epic, suggesting that the removal of
Belinda’s lock has detrimental and almost divine
implications. Pope uses personification extensively
throughout, to add to the heroic colouring of the
poem and in general elevating the subject matter.
In contrast to Pope’s epic style in The Rape of the

Lock, Swift models his A Modest Proposal after a
traditional staid economic proposal for the purpose
of inclusion in British governmental policy. Swift,
however, spins the standard on its head, shaping
his daring proposal on the basis of ruthless,
uninhibited economic gain at the expense of the
Britain’s Irish colony. When the proposal was
published anonymously in 1729, Ireland was in a
state of distraught after essentially being “eaten”,
or consumed by the British Empire. The protestant
British completely suppressed the Catholic Irish
population, and utterly neglected to consider the
welfare of the significantly large impoverished
population. As a result, Swift composed this harsh
satirical proposal, suggesting that the Irish sell their
children as food, in order to escape their economic
despair. “The number of souls in this kingdom
being usually reckoned one million and a half, of
these I calculate there may be about two hundred
thousand couple whose wives are breeders” (Swift
1115). This quotation is demonstrative of Swift’s
economist persona, and leads the reader to believe
that the proposal is serious in nature, and is meant
to be interpreted literally. Other than his use of
true Juvenalian satire, and inherent irony, Swift
neglects to apply other literary devices to the
proposal, due to its formal, academic nature.
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Evidently, both Pope and Swift had a motive

behind composing their two compelling yet
divergent satirical works. Pope fashioned the
characters of Belinda and the Baron as
representations of Arabella Fermor and Lord Petre,
Catholic British aristocrats who possessed an
infatuation with decorum during the neoclassical
period. These characters represent the facsimile of
18th century British personal ideals, and thus take
the roles of pseudo-heroes in The Rape of the
Lock. More apparent than Swift’s A Modest
Proposal, Pope uses his elaborate mock epic to
serve as a metaphor for the vain and superficial
period in British history. The poem was intended to
grasp the attention of aristocrats and society in
general, compelling them to humorously realize
their shortcomings, and spark a cultural shift.
However, Swift’s A Modest Proposal is politically
motivated, and undermined the British Empire’s
colonization and treatment of the Irish. The
proposal is presented in fine logical sequence and
is seemingly well calculated. The “shock value”
behind the suggestions and hidden accusations
served as a testament to the moral inadequacies
and limitless political behavior of the British. The
work was deliberately published anonymously so
Swift could avoid severe personal implications.
These two works of satire express their authors’

profound dissatisfaction with their society.
Literature that pushes for reform of any kind, social
or political, acts, along with entrenched tradition
itself, as a dialectic force; it is the synthesis of that
which is and that which is wanted that nudges
society to a certain direction. Both Pope and Swift
used their considerable literary talents to illuminate
contemporary society, forcing them to
acknowledge the shortcomings of the Neoclassical
period. Through The Rape of the Lock and A
Modest Proposal, Pope and Swift respectively
aspired to influence the British mindset of their age
and inspire it to move forward into a new era of
true enlightenment with regards to social and
political morality

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The 18th century was one in which exaltation of

wit and reason came to the forefront of literature

Pope and Swift, well known for their sharply

In contrast to Pope’s epic style in The Rape of the

Evidently, both Pope and Swift had a motive

These two works of satire express their authors’

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