Encyclopedia of Satirical Literature

“Satire”, the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed., 1944), defines as “a poem, a prose composition in which prevailing vices or follies are held up to ridicule”, and satirical literature as “the employment, in speaking or writing, of sarcasm, irony, ridicule etc. In denouncing, exposing, or deriding vice, folly, abuses, or evils of any kind.” Fifty years on, Snodgrass adds an extra dimension to this already broad classification, interpreting satire as

In this intelligently illustrated Encyclopedia, she presents authors, titles, literary periods, and characters, to outline and discuss the history, scope, and treasures of satirical literature. Generous extracts from...