What is there around us? What is used on a daily basis? What makes some people laugh? What is the answer to these questions? The answer is satire. Satire is a form of criticism that can be used in many ways and in many different situations. Sometimes satire is easy to spot, other times it can be incognito. Satire is commonly found in literary works, films, cartoons and even in some television news. The formal definition of satire is the use of humor to denounce human follies. (Dictionary.com). Satire is mainly written because a certain issue bothered the author. Through satire, these issues are brought to the attention of others so that the issues can eventually be improved. There are four techniques used to create satire. There is exaggeration, incongruity, reversal and parody. Exaggeration is exaggerating the faults of a person or institution to make them look ridiculous. Incongruity is when something is presented out of place in relation to its surroundings. A reversal occurs when something like the order of events is abnormal. The last technique used is parody. Parody is where the style or technique of a person, place, or thing is imitated. Satire can be divided into two different subcategories. There is Juvenalian satire and Horatian satire. Juvenalian satire is a very harsh form of satire. This form of satire is full of dislike and is very bitter towards a certain institution or person. Juvenalian satire tends to produce anger in the reader. This type of satire is found in political cartoons. Horatian satire is the complete opposite of Juvenalian satire. Horatian satire is very witty and can seem amused by the subject matter. The author is very gentle with any criticism of a person, institution, or issue. ...... middle of paper ...... it's coming out of my head. . .” which is about the song itself as it has a catchy melody and boring lyrics so it tends to get stuck in your head. Satire is used in our daily lives all around us. Sometimes you can spot it if it's a Juvenalian satire, or sometimes it's less obvious like Horatian satire. It is found in well-known classic novels, in some films, cartoons and even in some television commercials. Whatever method or form satire takes, it has been and always will be an important language in our society. Works cited “satire”. The New American Heritage® Cultural Literacy Dictionary, Third Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005. February 14, 2012. Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Perigee, 1954. Print. Larson, Gary. The Far Side Gallery 3. Kansas City: McMeel Universal Co, 1980. Print