Concetti Chiave
- Jonathan Swift, born in Dublin in 1667, is recognized as a leading prose satirist in the English language.
- Swift's career included working as a secretary to Sir William Temple, exposing him to aristocratic and political circles in England.
- He initially had Whig sympathies but later joined the Tories, forming the Scriblerus Club with notable intellectuals like Alexander Pope.
- In Ireland, Swift wrote influential works like Drapier’s Letters, opposing English exploitation and advocating for Irish interests.
- His enduring fame was cemented by "Gulliver’s Travels," a satirical critique of political and social issues of his time.
Early career and connections
The foremost prose satirist in the English language, In 1688 the writer travelled to England. Here he was ppointed secretary to Sir Willaim Temple,an English statesman famous for his culture, and had the opportunity to be acquainted with aristocratic and political circles. In 1694 Swift left Temple and went to Ireland where he was ordained an Anglican priest, but he soon returned to work with Temple. When Sir William died Swift had difficulty in finding employment, so he returned to Ireland, but made frequent visits to London. 1704 saw the publication of the famous Tale of a Tub, a powerful pamphlet satirising the Church and modern learning.
Political activism and later works
Despite his Royalist family background Queen Anne appointed him Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedreal in Dublin in 1713. In Ireland Swift was not indifferent to the endless sufferings of the Irish, and was indignant at England’s exploitation of the country. He responded to oppressive legislation with works like Proposal for the Universal Use of Irish Manufacture (1720) inviting the Irish to boycott English goods, and the famous and brilliant Drapier’s Letters, so called because they were signed M.B Drapier. The mysterious M.B Drapier protested against a new coinage designed for the Irish, which was believed to be not worth its value. These letters set Ireland aflame, and the project was dropped. Every effort was made to obtain evidence of Swift’s authorship, but in vain: all the Irish protected him.
In 1726 the publication of Grim humour marks his famous Modet Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from being Burden to their parents or the Country (1729). This work was another attack against the British for their injustices to the Irish. Swift spent the rest of his life in Ireland, where he died in 1745 and was buried in St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin.
Domande da interrogazione
- ¿Cuál fue el papel de Jonathan Swift en la sociedad literaria de su tiempo?
- ¿Cómo reaccionó Swift ante la situación política y social de Irlanda?
- ¿Qué impacto tuvo "Gulliver’s Travels" en la reputación de Swift?
- ¿Cuál fue la respuesta de Swift a las injusticias británicas hacia los irlandeses en su obra "A Modest Proposal"?
Jonathan Swift fue un destacado satirista en lengua inglesa, conocido por su participación en el Scriblerus Club junto a intelectuales como Alexander Pope y John Gay, donde satirizaban a sus contemporáneos.
Swift mostró indignación ante la explotación de Irlanda por parte de Inglaterra, respondiendo con obras como "Proposal for the Universal Use of Irish Manufacture" y "Drapier’s Letters", que instaban a los irlandeses a resistir las políticas opresivas.
"Gulliver’s Travels" le otorgó a Swift una reputación duradera, siendo una sátira sobre las cortes, partidos y estadistas, especialmente crítica con los Whigs, representados por los Lilliputienses.
En "A Modest Proposal", Swift utilizó un humor sombrío para criticar las injusticias británicas hacia los irlandeses, proponiendo irónicamente soluciones extremas para resaltar la gravedad de la situación.
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