Satire

New moon on December 12, 2023

Today begins the Long Night Moon, which is the last full moon of 2023. We’ve chosen Satire as our theme. Often considered a subgenre of comedy, satire is not always funny. Humor is complex. Satire wields humor against a target that is somehow obnoxious to us.

In the west, we recognize three types of satire, each of which is named after an ancient author who wielded it to great effect. By understanding the target of the satire and its tone, you can pin down which type of satire you’re creating or observing. These techniques have endured for millennia because they continue to resonate with audiences, and perhaps because they’re safest for the artist.

If the work is usually lighthearted and the subject is a person or an event, then it’s Horatian. Named after Horace, one of the finest poets of Augustan Rome, Horatian satire carries with it an ethos of moderation. It can be critical, but it doesn’t seek to destroy its target.

During this period, a patron system persisted in Rome under which the artist relied on maintaining the favor of a powerful ally who would finance the artist’s works and thus lifestyle. In a system where the rich heavily influenced what art would be rewarded, an artist would naturally feel compelled to temper their criticism of the status quo.

But not every artist had a patron or was particularly adept at sailing safely between Scylla and Charybdis. Enter Juvenal, a provincial who, like so many, made his way to Rome to make his fortune. What he found there must have disgusted him.

His response was to create a body of work that targeted the systems of abuse, greed, and neglect that he saw all around him. His tone was cynical and angry. Consequently, if the satire takes aim at social or cultural institutions and its tone is harsh, then it’s Juvenalian.

Finally, there is Menippean satire, named after a Greek slave and Cynic (capital “C” mind you) whose works have not survived antiquity. Menippus deployed his work against the dominant belief systems of his day: Stoicism, Epicurueanism, and so on. In contrast to the works of earlier philosophers, his were serio-comic.

He seems to have relied less on formal logic and more on the juxtaposition of contrary ideas to make his points. He was wildly popular and often imitated. It’s probably best to think of Menippean satire as the “everything else” type; its targets broad, its tone ironic or parodic.

So to build a great satire adopt a light touch when taking down individuals (Horatian), aim a more visceral attack at institutions (Juvenalian), or pair a diverse range of tones and techniques at society’s broader beliefs, morals, and superstitions (Menippean).

Wherever your medium of choice takes you, we hope this month’s prompts inspire you in your work!