A Satire Anthology

Project GutenbergProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 401K words
Chapters: 41

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. A Satire Anthology by Carolyn Wells. Author: , Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Dec 4, 2014

Editor's review

Compiled by Carolyn Wells, A Satire Anthology is a collection of English satirical literature, drawing on poetry, essays, and dramatic excerpts across various genres. Satire often relies on irony, exaggeration, and wit; readers can see how English writers use humor to criticize social mores and human foibles, while also building knowledge of rhetorical devices and literary allusions. As a public-domain ebook, it is easy to search and excerpt, making it suitable as supplementary reading for English literature courses or for self-learners who wish to select pieces by theme for close reading. When reading, it helps to place each work in its historical context, note the relationship between the target of satire and the expressive strategy, and compare how different writers handle the same theme; this yields more than reading straight through.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students of English and American literature who want to broaden their reading in satire
Self-learners with good English who want to experience irony and humor through an anthology
Writing enthusiasts hoping to learn from satirical and rhetorical techniques
Literature teachers looking for short satirical selections usable in class

Not a good fit for

Beginners with weak English, for whom the original texts are quite difficult
Readers expecting systematic literary history or detailed annotations
Those who read only contemporary works and have little interest in classic satirical styles

Reading tips

Start with the table of contents and choose pieces by genre or theme rather than reading straight through.
After each piece, write one or two sentences on the target and technique of the satire to aid comparison.
When a passage alludes to something or assumes unfamiliar historical background, look it up first and then reread; the results are better.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for English beginners?

Not really. Most pieces are satirical works from English literature, with language styles and allusions that pose a certain barrier; the vocabulary and syntax are not friendly to beginners. If your English is reasonably good, you can start with shorter pieces and read alongside annotations or a translation.

What kind of works does this book collect?

It is an anthology of English satirical literature covering poetry, essays, dramatic excerpts, and other genres, compiled by Carolyn Wells. For the specific contents, refer to the ebook's table of contents; it is advisable to browse it before reading to confirm the scope of selections.

What should I pay attention to while reading?

Satirical works often rely on irony and historical context, and the literal meaning may not equal the author's position. It is advisable to first learn the approximate source and period of a work, then judge the target of satire, and avoid taking the narrator's tone directly as the author's view.

Comments

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About the author

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Project Gutenberg is not a single author but a nonprofit digital library founded by Michael Hart in 1971 and one of the world's earliest free ebook platforms. It relies on volunteers to digitize, proofread, and freely distribute public-domain works and is now operated by the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Its collection contains 2,692 works, mainly religious texts, epics, and story collections, including the King James Bible and the Douay-Rheims volumes, the epic Mahabharata, a literal translation of the Arabian Nights, and Danish editions of the Old and New Testaments. Public information is limited, and its nature is closer to a public-interest compiling and dissemination body; these texts are open to the public, easy to consult and circulate, and have had a profound influence on the spread of ebooks and the preservation of public-domain resources.