English 556,
Studies in Satire
Autumn 2003
An exploration of the theory and practice of literary satire from
the Roman beginnings through the late twentieth century. The
emphasis will be on England's golden age of satire, 1660 to 1750
— the course satisfies the pre-1800 requirement —
but we'll also look at works from Horace and Juvenal through
Thomas Pynchon. Works will probably include selections from
Langland's Piers Plowman, More's Utopia, Swift's
Gulliver, Pope's Rape of the Lock, Voltaire's
Candide, Austen's Emma, and Twain's Connecticut
Yankee.