Jonathan Swift

Lore & Background

Swift was born in Dublin, the second child and only son of Jonathan Swift and Abigail Erick. His father died about seven months before his birth, and his mother returned to England, leaving him in the care of his uncle Godwin Swift. At age one, he was taken by his wet nurse to Whitehaven, Cumberland, where he learned to read the Bible; he returned to his mother in Ireland at age three. He attended Kilkenny College at age six and later entered Trinity College Dublin in 1682, receiving his B.A. in 1686. Political troubles forced him to leave for England in 1688, where he became secretary to Sir William Temple at Moor Park. There he met Esther Johnson, whom he nicknamed 'Stella,' and tutored her. He received his M.A. from Hart Hall, Oxford, in 1692 and was ordained a priest in the Established Church of Ireland, serving as prebend of Kilroot near Carrickfergus. He later returned to Temple's service until Temple's death in 1699.

Reader's Guide

Swift's significance rests on his mastery of Horatian and Juvenalian satire, exemplified in works such as Gulliver's Travels (1726), A Tale of a Tub (1704), An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity (1708), and A Modest Proposal (1729). He originally published all works under pseudonyms—including Lemuel Gulliver, Isaac Bickerstaff, and M. B. Drapier—or anonymously, possibly to protect himself from persecution in politically sensitive conditions. In 1713, he was appointed dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, earning the sobriquet 'Dean Swift.' His deadpan, ironic style led to the term 'Swiftian' for such satire. He is credited with inventing the popular woman's name 'Vanessa' through his poem Cadenus and Vanessa (1726). Since the late 18th century, Swift has become one of the most popular Irish authors globally; Gulliver's Travels remains the most printed book by an Irish writer in libraries and bookstores worldwide. He has influenced later authors including John Ruskin and George Orwell, and is commemorated in Ireland with streets, monuments, festivals, and tourist attractions.

Did You Know?

• Swift invented the popular woman's name 'Vanessa' through his poem Cadenus and Vanessa, composed in 1713.
• He originally published all of his works under pseudonyms or anonymously, including Lemuel Gulliver, Isaac Bickerstaff, and M. B. Drapier.
• Swift's father died about seven months before Swift was born; the cause is not definitively established.
• He was appointed dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, in 1713, giving him the sobriquet 'Dean Swift.'

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish writer and satirist. Acclaimed as one of the finest prose satirists in the English language, he was also well known for his poetry and essays." — Jonathan Swift "Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own." — Jonathan Swift "Instead of dirt and poison we have rather chosen to fill our hives with honey and wax; thus furnishing mankind with the two noblest of things, which are sweetness and light." — Jonathan Swift "There are few, very few, that will own themselves in a mistake, though all the World sees them to be in downright nonsense." — Jonathan Swift