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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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Satire
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1992-09-02
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A poem or piece of prose that uses wit,
humour, or irony, often through allegory or
extended metaphor, to ridicule human
pretensions or expose social evils. Satire is
related to parody in its intention to mock,
but satire tends to be more subtle and to
mock an attitude or a belief, whereas parody
tends to mock a particular work (such as a
poem) by imitating its style, often with
purely comic intent. The Roman poets Juvenal
and Horace wrote Satires, and the form became
popular in Europe in the 17th and 18th
centuries, used by Voltaire in France and by
Pope and Swift in England. Both satire and
parody are designed to appeal to the
intellect rather than the emotions and both,
to be effective, require a knowledge of the
original attitude, person, or work that is
being mocked (although much satire, such as
Gulliver's Travels by Swift, can also be
enjoyed simply on a literal level).