The Humorous Poetry of the English Language

The Humorous Poetry Of The English Language by J. Parton is an eclectic, dense anthology that surveys late 18th to early 19th century English satirical verse and burlesque. It gathers pieces by Peter Pindar (Wolcot), Cowper, Hood, Burns, Sheridan, and others, along with parodies of Spanish poetry (Yriarte) and humorous pieces from Punch. The collection unfolds as a collage of verse forms—mock-epic, fables, dialogues, epigrams, and prose framings—designed to lampoon social pretensions, religious cant, political folly, and the foibles of the court, Parliament, and the arts. Core themes include hypocrisy in religion and public life, political satire of ministers and factions, domestic satire of marriages and gender roles, and commentary on art, culture, and literary fashions. Notable targets include monarchs, ministers, critics, and contemporary figures, with pieces such as The King of Spain and the Horse, The Tender Husband, The Soldier and the Virgin Mary, Address to the Devil, Holy Willie’s Prayer, and various Punch parodies. The tone is breezy, combative, and witty, employing grotesque hyperbole and playful moralizing to expose pretensions and cant across urban Victorian society.