Dryden's Satire

According to the first paragraph of "Of Satire," what is the purpose of satire? What does Dryden say in the second paragraph is the type of satire he admires most, and to what does he attribute one's ability to use this type of satire successfully? What words does he use to show his disapproval of harsher forms of satire?

The purpose of satire is to correct those who do wrong and stop them from getting worse. The type of satire that Dryden admires the most is fine raillery or gentle mockery. He believes that to be good that this type of satire, one has to possess the talent naturally and instinctively. People who do not possess this talent naturally should not imitate it because it cannot be learned. His use of words like “opprobrious terms” and “grossness of the names” that he used to describe titles such as “fool,” blockhead,” and “knave” show his disapproval of harsher forms of satire.

Dryden, John. “Of Satire.” British Literature. Ronald A. Horton. 2nd ed. Greenville: BJU, 2003. 382. Print.