Jonathan SwiftJonathan Swift's early poetry was so bad that his cousin, poet John Dryden, reportedly said, "Cousin Swift, you will never be a poet." Dryden was right. Swift did go on to write some poetry, but his gift was for prose. He is considered one of the world's finest satirists.
Swift was born in Ireland and grew up very poor. He was incredibly smart but depression kept him from doing well in school and he barely graduated from college. His writing education began after school. He held leadership roles in the church and wrote many popular essays, pamphlets, and his masterpiece Gulliver's Travels. |
A Modest ProposalEssential Questions
Introductory Article Background Information A Modest Proposal Reading Qs and .doc SOAPSTone Your Modest Proposal Milton and Swift Quiz Review |