Canadian humour is an integral part of the Canadian Identity. There are several traditions in Canadian humour in both English and French. While these traditions are distinct and at times very different, there are common themes that relate to Canadians' shared history and geopolitical situation in North America and the world. Though neither universally kind nor moderate, humorous Canadian literature has often been branded as “gentle satire,” evoking the notion embedded in humorist Stephen Leacock’s definition of humour as “the kindly contemplation of the incongruities of life and the artistic expression thereof.”