Final answer:
Horatian satire typically employs a tone that is light-hearted and playful, engaging in gentle mockery to highlight human follies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Horatian satire is known for its light-hearted and playful tone, rather than being harshly reproachful or heavily instructive. It aims to correct through laughter and gentle mockery, providing amusement while still pointing out the follies and vices of human behavior. Horace, the Roman poet after whom Horatian satire is named, was masterful at this, using wit and playful humor to critique the social norms of his day without alienating his audience.