In literary criticism, the term burlesque is employed as a term in genre criticism, to describe any imitative work that derives humor from an incongruous contrast between style and subject. In this usage, forms of satire such as parody and travesty are types of burlesque (Abrams, 1999). The term came into English usage in the seventeenth century, through French from Italian burla, burlesca. Literary criticism is the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. ... In contemporary usage, a parody is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... Burlesque was originally a form of art that mocked by imitation, referring to everything from comic sketches to dance routines and usually lampooning the social attitudes of upper classes. ...

In this usage, High burlesque refers to a burlesque imitation where a serious style is applied to commonplace or comically inappropriate subject matter — as, for example, in the literary parody and the mock-heroic. Low burlesque applies an irreverent, mocking style to a serious subject; an example is Samuel Butler's Hudibras, which describes the misadventures of a Puritan knight in satiric doggerel verse, using a colloquial idiom. High burlesque is a form of satire which takes a subject matter that is generally regarded as lowly or immaterial and treats it in a literary, elevated manner. ... In contemporary usage, a parody is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... Generally, mock-heroic is a satirical piece or parody that mocks common Romantic or modern stereotypes of heroes. ... Samuel Butler Samuel Butler (4 December 1612–18 June 1680) was born in Strensham, Worcestershire and baptised 14 February 1613. ... Hudibras is a mock heroic poem from the 17th century written by Samuel Butler. ... Doggerel describes verse considered of little literary value. ... A colloquialism is an expression not used in formal speech or writing. ...

A burlesque literary performance is intentionally ridiculous in that it imitates several styles and combined imitations of certain authors and artists with absurd descriptions. In this, the term burlesque was often used interchangeably with 'pastiche', 'parody', and the seventeenth and eighteenth century genre of the 'mock-heroic'. The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... In contemporary usage, a parody is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... Generally, mock-heroic is a satirical piece or parody that mocks common Romantic or modern stereotypes of heroes. ...

Burlesque is an inherently social form, one that depends on the reader's contextual expectations. When a reader approaches burlesque without expectations, and the comedy needs to be explicated in a preface and annotations, the effect is blunted.

References

• Abrams, M. H. (1999). A Glossary of Literary Terms. Seventh edition. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
• Thomas F. Hedin, The Petite Commande of 1664: Burlesque in the gardens of Versailles, The Art Bulletin December 2001
• Northrop Frye, Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1957