THEORIES OF SATIRE IN ALEXANDER POPE’S “THE RAPE OF THE LOCK” AND JONATHAN SWIFT’S “A MODEST PROPOSAL”

ABSTRACT

The concept of satire has been a widely treated discourse in the literary space over the years and has received scholarly submissions and postulations too. Critics and scholars have not failed to treat its types and from too. However, little or no attention has been given to the theories of satire and this is due to the choice of scholars to focus on other areas of interest as regards satirical texts and the concept generally. This essay examines and brings to the fore, the theories of satire deployed by Alexander Pope in his poem, "The Rape of the Lock" and Jonathan Swift in his poem, "A Modest Proposal". In addition, the essay depicts the individual poet's uniqueness of presentation by deviating from the already known theory of satire. While Pope deploys the Horatian type of satire in his poem, Swift uses the Juvenalian Satire. However, the method with which Pope applies the said kind of Satire deviates from the norm, which results to a creation of his kind of saitre termed Pope's Horatian Satire. The deviation is achieved by using the Social Poetics theory and the Comic Poetics theory. Swift's method of using Juvenalian also deviates from the norm; hence, results to Swift's Juvenalian Satire. The deviation is achieved by using the Incongruity Poetics and the Relief Poetics theory. The findings showed that the creation of new techniques can be achieved through deviation.