Rossini's parents expected the future composer to get right to work -- they enrolled him in music lessons at the age of four. The young Rossini started writing compositions as a teenager; by the time he was in his 20s, he had already written more than seven operas. In 1812, Italy's most important ope

Bombast, Dramatic, Epic, Funny, Sardonic

Ireland. Ire. Irony. This euphonious trio of words explains the humor of Jonathan Swift; though he reportedly bore the most dour countenance in history, his wit could make readers laugh through his bile. Swift's "Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burde

18th century literature, Agitated, Augustan literature, Dystopic, Excessive, Ironic, Playful, Sardonic, Witty

In yet another insightful stab at pop culture, the television show "South Park" aired an episode that posed this truly horrifying question: what would happen if Barbra Streisand came upon some secret power source that enabled her to be a many-times-exaggerated version of herself? The show dubbed this

Agitated, Depressive, Dramatic, Melancholy, Punk, Quirky, Sardonic, Witty

Sandra Bernhard dares us to behold her in all her glory: she is a defiant, self-made beauty queen, a queen who knows that confidence is everything. In the body- and image-obsessed town of Los Angeles, Bernhard has managed to foster a steadily thriving career as an astute and wickedly funny cultural c

Agitated, Eclectic, Elegant, Grand, Sardonic, Sexy, Solo performance, Witty