Jonathan Swift: The Great Satirist

1729 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Jonathan swift nature of satire

Jonathan Swift is known as one the greatest satirists in literature. His experience in religion, politics and science allow his works to be considered genius in the world of writing. Swift’s writing laid the foundation for several satirical successors. Swift was born in 1667 in Dublin, Ireland. His father had passed away “right before [he] was born” (Draper 3531). He was left “in the care of relatives” for the first three years of his life, while his mother returned to England to take care of business (Cody). Swift’s parents, Jonathan and Abigail, were both Protestants. His religion played a major role in his life, which led to his later career as a Protestant minister.

Jonathan Swift started his education at six years old, when he attended Kilkenny Grammar School, “which was, at the time, the best in Ireland” (Cody). He graduated from Trinity College when he was nineteen, however he wasn’t the best student in school. Shortly after graduating, Trinity College closed during the Glorious Revolution. In 1689, Swift became Sir William Temple’s secretary. Along with becoming Temple’s new secretary, Swift also met and fell in love with a woman named Esther Johnson. Esther is better known as the “‘Stella’ of his famous Journal to Stella” (Byers 52). Surprisingly enough, she was thirteen years younger than Swift.

When Swift was 25, “he returned to Ireland to take holy orders” and this is where he established his career in the Anglican church (Cody). Swift had also started writing several pieces in the genre of satire. One of his early satires includes A Tale of a Tub which mocks Western Christianity. Writing a piece like this was very risky for Swift to do, mostly because his position in any church would be jeopardized. The next s...

... middle of paper ...

...wift truly deserves to be labeled as “the foremost prose satirist in English language” (Byers 51).

Works Cited

Bloom, Harold. Jonathan Swift. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. Print.

Byers, Paula K., and Suzanne M. Bourgoin. Encyclopedia of world biography. [Volume 15],

Studi-Visser. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Print.

Cody, David. "Jonathan Swift: A Brief Biography." N.p., June 2000. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

Draper, James P., and Gale Research Company. World literature criticism. [Volume 6], Stoker-

Zola, indexes : 1500 to the present : a selection of major authors from Gale's literary

criticism serie. Detroit: Gale Research, 1992. Print.

Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's travels into several remote nations of the world. Waiheke Island:

Floating Press, 2008. Print.

Swift, Jonathan. A modest proposal and other satirical works. New York: Dover, 1996. Print.

Show More
Related

  • A Rhetorical Analysis Of Swift's Proposal By Jonathan Swift

    1388 Words  | 3 Pages

    At what point in the essay did you recognize that Swift’s proposal is meant to be satiric? Do you think a modern audience would get the joke faster than Swift’s contemporaries did? It becomes obvious that the author was employing sarcastic and humorous ideas in his proposal when

    Read More

  • The Effectiveness of A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift

    2432 Words  | 5 Pages

    Swift defined satire as; 'A sort of glass wherein the holders do generally discover everybody's face but their own, which is the chief reason for that kind of reception it meets in the world, and that so very few are offended with it. " Swift presents his "Proposal" as an entirely reasonable suggestion to aid the Irish, he enumerates the many benefits, counters the objections many may have, uses rhetoric reasoning and proves his humanitarianism views. Swift has written in considerable detail over the degree of poverty in Ireland, he draws attention to the causes of it obliquely and proves in great detail that his "Proposal" will work and in which ways it does work. Ireland was a colony of England; it was economically, politically and militarily dependent on ... ... middle of paper ... ...

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of A Modest Proposal

    898 Words  | 2 Pages

    In eighteenth century Ireland, the nation was in a famine and an epidemic of poverty due to the high prices of land and food. Jonathan Swift saw a problem, so he wrote and spread what we call today, A Modest Proposal. Swift’s essay is satirical. He exaggerates and gives inaccurate statistics to deliver a thesis that runs deeper than the explicit one about eating babies. While much of the essay seems to imply that Swift’s persona eats babies, there are some instances where Jonathan hints at the ironic themes of the writing.

    Read More

  • A Modest Proposal a Rhetorical Analysis

    582 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Swift’s satirical essay he stated the main issue to be the hunger and starvation of Irish country and their lack of money to support oneself. He said the complication was they themselves don’t have food, to many families in poverty, and that the Englishman took their land and charging high prices for rent. Swift makes this argument because he too is an Irish men and he struggles to see his fellow men parish in the streets. He desires his people to stand up against England and take back what’s theirs. He argues that the Irish...

    Read More

  • Humanity versus Inhumanity: An Analysis of Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal

    1073 Words  | 3 Pages

    Swift, Jonathan. “A Modest Proposal.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Gen. ed. Stephen Greenblatt. 9th ed. Vol. C. New York: Norton, 2012. 2633-39. Print.

    Read More

  • Satire

    1450 Words  | 3 Pages

    n/d. "Jonathan Swift - A Modest Proposal." The Art Bin Magazine. Web. 13 Feb. 2012.

    Read More

  • Jonathan Swift And Oliver Goldsmith Compare And Contrast Essay

    901 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although Jonathan Swift and Oliver Goldsmith have two distinct writing styles, their passion for literature, their desire for a better world, and the underlying topic of their work are all strikingly similar. The lives of these two famous authors also resemble each other’s, starting in poverty, living through life’s hardships, and ending in success. Swift and Goldsmith were two of the most famous authors of the 18th century. I believe if Swift and Goldsmith had met, they would have made great friends. For the reason that, along with their passions, their lives were bursting with challenges. Both were born in poverty and underwent numerous challenges, including the death of loved ones and the loss of purpose in life. In addition, Jonathan Swift

    Read More

  • A Modest Proposal

    1099 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ture the attention of the audience by means of “political pamphleteering which is very popular during his time” (SparkNotes Editors). The language and style of his argument is probably why it is still popular till this day. By using satire, Swift makes his point by ridiculing the English people, the Irish politicians, and the wealthy. He starts his proposal by using emotional appeal and as it progresses, he uses ethos to demonstrate credibility and competence. To show the logical side of the proposal, he uses facts and figures. By applying these rhetorical appeals, Swift evidently makes his argument more effectual.

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of On Dumpster Diving By Lars Eighner

    1718 Words  | 4 Pages

    If Jonathan Swift had written a serious piece simply espousing his true beliefs he would not have received as much feedback, due to the fact that there were already informational advertisements at the time and nobody was interested in reading them. The only thing that would get the people 's attention was something that would create a lasting impression, so he wrote a satirical piece with trenchant humor and mochary. “A Modest Proposal” surprised people and got them thinking about the condition of the poor in Ireland and what should be done to solve it. For example Swift states that “those who are thrifty” can use the carcass of the infant for ladies’ gloves or gentlemen’s boots. This itself can help those reading the piece to begin to think about possible solutions to the substantial issues involving the poor in Ireland. He also proposes that children that are fourteen should be consumed as well so the poor don’t have to go hungry and that it would limit the number of breeders, in an attempt to illustrate the extremity of the circumstances. His sarcastic way of joking enlisted fear in the poor and concern in the rich, helping them realise the drastic issue present in the

    Read More

  • A Modest Proposal - Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    737 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jonathan Swift is a well-known author and satirist who graduated from Oxford University in England. He is very educ...

    Read More

  • Sarcasm and Irony in Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal

    1501 Words  | 4 Pages

    In his lengthy literary career, Jonathan Swift wrote many stories that used a broad range of voices that were used to make some compelling personal statements. For example, Swifts, A Modest Proposal, is often heralded as his best use of both sarcasm and irony. Yet taking into account the persona of Swift, as well as the period in which it was written, one can prove that through that same use of sarcasm and irony, this proposal is actually written to entertain the upper-class. Therefore the true irony in this story lies not in the analyzation of minute details in the story, but rather in the context of the story as it is written.

    Read More

  • Utopia in Gulliver Travels and Paradise Lost

    2454 Words  | 5 Pages

    Rodino, Richard H. "The Study of Gulliver's Travels, Past and Present." Critical Approaches to Teaching Swift. New York: AMS Press, 1992.

    Read More

  • Gulliver's Travels: Where Size Doesn't Matter

    1662 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver Travels, satire is ever-present: in plot, character and setting. Dystopia and utopia set the story, with grotesque added to sharpen character facets. The title character narrates the novel, and all actions are told through his point of view. His voyages expose him to extraordinary and absurd circumstances, used as fodder for mockery, and all throughout Gulliver’s travails society is ridiculed, and a bitter light is cast on humanity. Character growth is not spared: in the beginning Gulliver is much one-dimensional, and as he changes, Swift uses his growth as another ancillary conduit to let loose more satirical prowess.

    Read More

  • Essay on the Importance of Perspective in Gulliver's Travels

    745 Words  | 2 Pages

    The University of New York. (1977) The 'Secondary' of the The Writings of Jonathan Swift: Authoritative Texts, Backgrounds, Criticism.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Feminism In Gulliver's Travels By Jonathan Swift

    1124 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jonathan Swift growing up, born in Ireland suffered very much. Both his parents exited his life after his birth. Jonathans father Jonathan Swift Sr. died four months after his son’s birth. His mother Abigail Erick tried to care for the young sick Jonathan with his nurse. Eventually his mother gave in and sent Jonathan to England with his nurse to be cared for in a better manner. Jonathan was barely raised by a female figure once his mother and nurse were not by his side as he grew past infancy. When he came back to Ireland, Jonathan lived with his uncle who gave Jonathan the best education possible which he funded for Jonathan.

    Read More

More about Jonathan Swift: The Great Satirist

Open Document