As most teenagers know, one of the best ways to make fun of something is to imitate it. In fact, one might say that all humor is based on the act of imitation. The literary name for imitating an established piece of writing or well-known convention is parody. Parody usually borrows the style and structure of a famous piece of writing and turns it on its head. However, unlike satire, parody is always in good-spirited fun. 

A fine example of parody can be found in Robert Plummer’s “The Waistline,” an award-winning imitation of T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Wasteland.” See how Robert cleverly preserves the language and rhythms of the original, but shifts the tone from serious to comedic.

Excerpt from T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land”
I. The Burial of the Dead
 
April is the cruelest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.

Excerpt from Robert Plummer’s “The Waistline”
I. The Cereal and the Bread

NOVEMBER is the cruelest month, breeding
Sluggards out of bed, mixing
Protein and carbohydrates, stirring
Full vats with big spoons.
The oven kept it warm, covering
Turkey in mounds of gravy, feeding
Many mouths with mashed tubers.”

Read Robert Plummer’s “The Waistline: A Parody of ‘The Wasteland,’ Section 1”

	Your Turn Select a famous piece of writing, perhaps something you’ve read in English class, to parody. Now, take that poem, story, or essay and turn it on its head. Remember: Parody is playful imitation. Make sure your reader recognizes what you are playfully imitating.