Restoration literary theory and satire: the development of satire as a mode of criticism

This thesis will examine the ways Restoration writers utilised verse satire as a form of literary criticism. Observing how Restoration literature becomes increasingly self-referential, it will reveal the emergence of a critical vocabulary that was shared by writers to define a series of theoretical principles they could not always agree on, and demonstrate how satirical texts came to encompass and engage with this vibrant exchange of ideas.