Wit in Augustans
The Augustans weren't just into being satirical—they were also into being witty. Look no further if what you love is clever turns of phrase, literary inventiveness, and all-out 100% smart-mouthery.
These guys have the gift of literary gab: they play with ideas and metaphors, they twist and turn words around, they're funny, and they're really intelligent to boot. This emphasis on wit also comes from the Augustans' obsession with classicism, because hey, the ancients were into being smart mouths, too.
Shmoops:
Alexander Pope is a master of wit, and he's got some advice on how to be just as witty as he is. Take a look at these quotations from "Sound and Sense," part of his Essay on Criticism.
Jonathan Swift uses his wit to convince us that eating Irish babies isn't actually such a bad idea in this quotation (Quote #1) from A Modest Proposal.