English Notes Satire -comments on and usually criticises society -makes fun of a topic by making it seem ridiculous -The Simpsons is a satirical look at contemporary society (middle class American lifestyle) The Elements of Satire -satire should, like a polished razor keen, wound with a touch, that's scarcely felt or seen What is satire? -usually witty -almost always sarcastic or ironic Satirical Techniques -pun -parody -irony -farce -reversal -exaggeration -trivialisation -analogy -caricature -incongruity Techniques of Satire-Definitions Pun- a humorous play on words Parody- a humorous imitation of another, usually serious, work Irony- a literary device that uses contradictory statements or situations to reveal a reality different from what appears to be true Farce- a ridiculous sham that shows mockery/ridicule Reversal- reversing the situation by turning it upside down therefore presenting it from a different angle Exaggeration- the making of something more noticeable than usual for humorous effect Analogy- the relationship of similarity between two or more entities or a partial similarity upon which a comparison is based Trivialisation- the portrayal of something perceived to be important as unimportant Caricature- a picture or description that exaggerates the peculiarities or defects a person Incongruity- portraying something out of place to mock/ridicule Horatian Satire -tends to have a more gentle, playful and sympathetic tone, but it can still be ripe with ridicule Juvenalian Satire -more judgmental, full of harsh insult and withering invective -more hard-hitting than Horatian satire -used to portray conditions very similar to or worse than reality, but by using some sort of allegory or metaphor -relies on irony, and usually has a grim and pessimistic view
Unit 2 1. Slam poems are meant to be performed 2. The topics tend to be political 3. Slam poems are meant to provoke 4. A little acting is welcome Where did Spoken Word/Slam poetry come from? - The end of World War II left many poets questioning mainstream politics and culture - Beat generation, a group of writers interested in changing consciousness and defying conventional writing - Battle against social conformity and literary tradition was central to the work of Beats Messages: -keep the word of the aboriginals alive (reiterates aboriginal word keep the fire burning) -the imagery created in stanza 3 is one of intimacy -by using repetition of the word 'and' he enforces his message by continuously listing UNIT 3: Shakespeare's Othello Verse vs Prose: Verse: Poetic language that includes meter and sometimes rhymefi organised in lines with a consistent number of syllables Prose: ordinary written language with no meter or rhymefi organised in sentences Verse vs Prose: Usage: - Poetic style of verse used for high status characters, great affairs of war and state, and tragic moments - Prose used for lower status characters (servants, clowns, drunks, villains), proclamations, written challenges, accusations, letters, comedic moments, and to express madness - Identify whether verse or prose to help with analysis Verse vs Prose: Othello - In Othello, pay careful attention to the situations in which Iago switches between speaking in