Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet, and Anglican cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, hence his common sobriquet, "Dean Swift".
Jonathan Swift | |
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Portrait by Charles Jervas, 1710 | |
| Born | 30 November 1667 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 19 October 1745 (aged 77) Dublin, Ireland |
| Resting place | St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin |
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| Language | Modern English |
| Education | B.A. |
| Alma mater | Trinity College Dublin |
| Period | 18th century |
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| Years active | from 1696 |
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| Partner | Esther Johnson (?) |
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Swift is remembered for works such as A Tale of a Tub (1704), An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity (1712), Gulliver's Travels (1726), and A Modest Proposal (1729). He is regarded by the Encyclopædia Britannica as the foremost prose satirist in the English language. He originally published all of his works under pseudonyms—such as Lemuel Gulliver, Isaac Bickerstaff, M. B. Drapier—or anonymously. He was a master of two styles of satire, the Horatian and Juvenalian styles.
His deadpan, ironic writing style, particularly in A Modest Proposal, has led to such satire being subsequently termed "Swiftian".