This study examines the poetics of satire in the short stories of O. Henry and Gafur Gulom through a comparative literary framework. Satire, as a complex aesthetic and ideological mode, functions as a powerful instrument of social criticism across diverse cultural traditions. While previous scholarship has explored satire in American and Uzbek literature separately, limited attention has been given to the structural and poetic mechanisms underlying satirical expression in a cross-cultural perspective. The research employs a qualitative comparative methodology, integrating textual analysis, structural examination, and stylistic interpretation of selected short stories by both authors. The study focuses on identifying core satirical devices such as irony, exaggeration, narrative contrast, and character typology, as well as examining their organization within distinct cultural contexts.The findings demonstrate that irony operates as the central mechanism of satire in both writers. O. Henry predominantly constructs satire through situational irony and narrative reversal, particularly via the twist ending, which reshapes moral interpretation. In contrast, Gafur Gulom employs dialogic humor, explicit social irony, and culturally embedded linguistic features to critique bureaucratic absurdities and moral contradictions. Despite differences in narrative emphasis and tonal execution, both authors share foundational satirical strategies. The research concludes that satirical poetics are culturally adaptive structures: while their fundamental devices remain universal, their structural realization reflects national literary traditions and socio-historical contexts. The study contributes to comparative literary scholarship by deepening understanding of cross-cultural satirical aesthetics.

satire, poetics, irony, comparative literature, O. Henry, Gafur Gulom, short story, narrative structure

Aristotle. (1996). Poetics (M. Heath, Trans.). Penguin Classics.

Bloom, H. (2009). O. Henry. Chelsea House Publishers.

Frye, N. (1957). Anatomy of criticism. Princeton University Press.

Gulom, G. (1985). Selected works (Vol. 2). Tashkent: Gafur Gulom Publishing House.

Highet, G. (1962). The anatomy of satire. Princeton University Press.

Knight, C. A. (2004). The literature of satire. Cambridge University Press.

O. Henry. (1994). Collected short stories. Wordsworth Editions.

Utkirovna, N. S. (2025). BADIIY TARJIMANING KELIB CHIQISH OMILLARI HAMDA AMERIKA HIKOYACHILIGINING O ‘ZBEK TILIGA TARJIMA QILINISHI TARAQQIYOTI. JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, MODERN VIEWS AND INNOVATIONS, 1(4), 195-203.

Utkirovna, N. S. (2025). THE SPECIFIC STYLE OF US PORTER'S CREATIVITY AND ITS RECREATION IN TRANSLATION. JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, MODERN VIEWS AND INNOVATIONS, 1(3), 105-109.

Utkirovna, N. S. (2024). The Intersection of Irony and Social Commentary in O. Henry’s Short Stories. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INNOVATION IN NONFORMAL EDUCATION, 4(10), 178-183.

Utkirovna, N. S. (2024). Unveiling the Artistry of O. Henry: An in-Depth Analysis of Irony, Plot Twists, and Narrative Techniques in His Short Stories. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INNOVATION IN NONFORMAL EDUCATION, 4(9), 92-95.

Utkirovna, N. S., & Sultonovna, U. O. (2023). Artistic functions of humor in o. Henry's stories. Boletin de Literatura Oral-The Literary Journal, 10(1), 3934-3938.

Utkirovna, N. S. (2023). O. Genri Hikoyalarida Milliy-Madaniy Qarashlarning Aks Etishi. Central Asian Journal of Literature, Philosophy and Culture, 4(6), 255-264.

Pirmanovna, N. G., & Utkirovna, N. S. (2023). The Stylistic Analysis of the Short Story “The Last Leaf” By O. Henry. Central Asian Journal of Literature, Philosophy and Culture, 4(4), 146-149.

Nasridinova, S. U. (2024). PECULIAR FEATURES OF AMERICAN STORYTELLING. American Journal of Public Diplomacy and International Studies, 2(6), 306-309.

Utkirovna, N. S. (2024). AMERIKA HIKOYANAVISLIGINING O ‘ZIGA XOS XUSUSIYATLARI. XALQARO ILMIY-AMALIY KONFERENSIYALAR, 1(1), 294-296.