Jonathan Swift: A Study of His Work & Writing Advice

“Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own.” - Jonathan Swift

If there’s one thing you can trust Jonathan Swift’s opinion on, it’s satire. Swift was a master of two of its styles, Horatian and Juvenalian, and he left such a big impact on the genre of satire as a whole that the term “Swiftian” emerged as a descriptor for the deadpan, ironic satire that he was best known for. Swift has been called “the foremost prose satirist in the English language,” but he was also a dedicated Anglican cleric, author, essayist, political pamphleteer, and poet whose many works across several formats and genres of writing left a large legacy in his wake.

Today we’ll look at this Irishman who changed satire and its place in literature for good, particularly focusing on his background, style of writing, prominent works, legacy, and writing advice so we might understand who Jonathan Swift was, and why he stands out in the annals of history.

Jonathan Swift: A Brief History

Jonathan Swift was born November 30th, 1667 in Dublin, Ireland, to a mother who had lost her husband, Swift’s father, only a matter of months before his birth. He and his older brothers were therefore dependent on the generosity of their uncles to make their way in the world, and despite Swift’s dependency, his education never went unprioritized throughout his youth. He attended the finest boys school in Ireland before enrolling in Trinity College in Dublin in 1682 for his bachelor’s degree, but while he began his master’s degree at Trinity College immediately after finishing his bachelor’s, in 1689 the Glorious Revolution and resulting Roman Catholic disturbances drove him from Ireland over to England, where he found work with a distant relative – a wealthy and well-connected man named Sir William Temple – at Temple’s estate in Moor Park. Swift would remain employed at Moor Park for ten years editing and assisting with Temple’s memoir before Temple’s death, but not before Temple’s connections allowed him to complete his master’s degree at the University of Oxford and his extensive library allowed Swift an intellectual maturity.

During the years he spent employed by Temple, Swift took orders in the Anglican church and became an ordained priest, as well as wrote his own work, including one of his most popular (and the first thing he ever published), A Tale of a Tub, before he returned to Ireland to work as a vicar, chaplain, and secretary.

During the next ten years he became increasingly involved in politics and increasingly well-known as a writer in England for his works critiquing the political events and decisions of the time, supporting first the Whigs and then the Tories, but the destruction of the Tory party in 1714 ended his career in England and he saw himself back to Ireland, where he would stay for the majority of the rest of his life.

He spent the rest of his years working for the Anglican church in his capacity as a man of God, and he spent his personal time writing prolifically and publishing numerous times. By the time of his death in 1745, he has become one of the foremost satirists of the time, but he had also descended into insanity, which has been largely attributed to debilitating dementia. His legacy, however, remains unsullied by his end, and it still stands tall today.

Writing Style

Jonathan Swift was best known for the deadpan and ironic style of satire that became his namesake, along with his directness, wit, symbolism, and socio-political commentary. Several of Swift’s most famous works, though not all, are pieces of satire, and they were markedly sharp and biting in their use of sarcasm, absurdity, and humor to criticize social, political, and moral issues of his time. Swift was not one to shy away from depicting harsh realities, and his writing often reflected a stark, realistic portrayal of the world, exposing the darker aspects of society with unflinching directness. Despite the complex ideas and themes his works encompassed, however, Swift's writing was remarkably clear and straightforward. He avoided ornate language and convoluted sentence structures, ensuring that his message was easily comprehensible to his audience. Overall, Jonathan Swift's writing style was characterized by its incisive satire, clarity, realism, and its ability to engage readers while offering trenchant commentary on the society and politics of his era.

Gulliver’s Travels

Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships, or commonly known as "Gulliver's Travels," is a satirical novel of Swift's first published in 1726. Despite its lackluster initial reception upon its first printing, it's now considered one of the most enduring works of English literature and Swift's masterpiece, combining adventure, fantasy, and biting social commentary through a structure of four parts depicting four voyages by Lemuel Gulliver, a ship's surgeon, to various imaginary lands.

The first part, “Voyage to Lilliput,” sees Gulliver's first voyage, which takes him to Lilliput, a land inhabited by tiny people, the Lilliputians, who are about six inches tall. This section satirizes the political and social issues of Swift's time, including political intrigue, court politics, and absurd laws. It also comments on the religious conflicts of the time, represented by Lilliput and their neighboring empire fighting over which end of an egg should be broken first, demonstrating the pettiness of human disputes.

In the second part, “Voyage to Brobdingnag,” Gulliver finds himself in Brobdingnag, a land of giants. There, he is the miniature being among colossal inhabitants. Swift used this part to satirize human nature by highlighting Gulliver's experiences and the differences in perspective when dealing with issues like politics, society, and morality from a tiny, vulnerable position.

In the third part, “Voyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Luggnagg, Glubbdubdrib, and Japan,” Gulliver travels to several imaginary lands. Swift used Laputa, a floating island inhabited by theoretical scientists and intellectuals, to satirize the detachment of intellectuals from practical reality, and Balnibarbi, a land plagued by inefficiency, to satirize the flaws in science and administration. And the other lands Gulliver visits in this section further explore absurdities in governance, knowledge, and power.

In the final part, “Voyage to the Land of the Houyhnhnms,” Gulliver's voyage leads him to a land ruled by intelligent horses called Houyhnhnms and degenerate humanoid creatures called Yahoos. Through this part, Swift conducts a scathing satire on human nature, depicting the Yahoos as embodying the worst traits of humanity – greed, savagery, and selfishness – and depicting the rational and morally upright Houyhnhnms in stark contrast, serving as a commentary reflecting Swift's pessimistic view of humanity.

Ultimately, since its first publishing, Gulliver’s Travels has seen constant popularity in the English literary realm, being praised for its duality as a deep and complex satire on political and social issues of the time, and doubling as an entertaining children’s adventure tale. It is the diamond of Swift’s career and is often referred to as an utter literary masterpiece.

A Modest Proposal

A Modest Proposal is a satirical essay published anonymously in 1729. It is one of Swift’s most famous works, known for its biting satire and shocking proposal, and if Swift’s writing career had not been widely acclaimed before this, it was following. In this work, Swift employed his masterful use of satire to highlight the dire poverty and economic exploitation faced by the Irish people under British rule, and this piece of writing caused absolute commotion upon its first printing.

Swift was inspired to write A Modest Proposal by the struggle with severe and widespread poverty and economic oppression by the British he witnessed as an Irishman and a priest. Landlords exploited Irish peasants heavily and indiscriminately, and there were high rates of starvation and destitution. Swift wrote "A Modest Proposal" as a scathing critique of the British policies and apathy of the ruling class toward the Irish plight.

In the essay, Swift ironically suggests a shocking solution to alleviate poverty in Ireland: he proposes that the impoverished Irish should sell their infants as food to the wealthy English landowners. He details the economic benefits such a proposal would bring, such as reducing the number of poor mouths to feed and contributing to the economy, which applied an almost scientific tone of rationality and logic to his outrageous proposal, heightening the irony and making the scheme seem more plausible at first glance.

It is obvious Swift's proposal appears absurd and morally repugnant, but that was his exact goal. He used his extreme satire to shock readers into recognizing the inhumanity of the current situation in Ireland and to criticize the indifference of the ruling class to the suffering of the Irish people, and his hyperbolic suggestion exposed the callousness of the English towards the Irish.

Upon its release, A Modest Proposal caused a sensation amongst the public, shocking and bewildering readers. While some initially mistook it for a genuine proposal, it was soon recognized as a brilliant and powerful piece of satire, and the essay remains a classic example of political satire and a testament to Swift's mastery of the genre. Today, it continues to be studied and admired for its clever use of irony and its critique of social injustice and governmental neglect.

A Tale of a Tub

A Tale of a Tub is one of Jonathan Swift's earliest major works, published in 1704 anonymously. It's a complex and satirical work that comprises a narrative structure interwoven with digressions, parodies, and allegories, and is divided into sections, with the main narrative being “A Tale of a Tub" itself, and two digressions: "The Digression on Madness" and "The Digression on Critics."

"A Tale of a Tub" tells the story of three brothers – Peter, Martin, and Jack – who represent the respective branches of Christianity: Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism, and Puritanism or Dissent. The brothers receive coats from their father, which represent religious teachings, but over time, they modify and embellish these teachings according to their desires, symbolizing the corruption and deviation from the original faiths.

Swift uses allegory, irony, and parody extensively in "A Tale of a Tub," and the satire targets various aspects of contemporary society, politics, religion, and learning. Through the three brothers, Swift specifically goes after religious divisions, theological disputes, and the corruption of institutionalized religion.

The two major digressions in the book – "The Digression on Madness" and "The Digression on Critics" – are significant parts of the novel. In "The Digression on Madness," Swift discusses the nature of madness, using it as a metaphor for the irrationality and absurdity inherent in human behavior, particularly in matters of religion and philosophy, and some have noted the lived irony of Swift descending into madness at the end of his life. "The Digression on Critics" is a critique of literary critiques, examining the shortcomings and absurdities of critics and scholars.

Despite the variation in the topics, through the entirety of the work Swift employs layers of meaning and allegory, making it a challenging but rich work to interpret. The narrative is interspersed with elaborate metaphors, allusions, and wordplay, which ultimately makes it an entertaining and intellectually stimulating piece of writing all at once.

Despite its modern reputation, A Tale of a Tub received mixed reactions upon its release. While some praised Swift's wit and creativity, others found it controversial and difficult to understand due to its complex structure and layered satire, however, it is today considered a significant work in English literature for its innovative use of satire and its exploration of religious, philosophical, and literary themes, and it remains one of the most lauded works of Swift's career.

Swift’s Legacy & Impact

Swift's mastery of satire and his ability to use wit, irony, and humor to critique societal, political, and religious issues have made him a celebrated figure in English literature. During his time, Swift's writings had a significant impact on public discourse because of his fearless criticism of injustices and hypocrisies, and Swift's adoration seems to only have grown since his death. He contributed significantly to English literature and even the language itself as well, bringing “Swiftian,” "Lilliputian," "Yahoo," and "modest proposal," into use. And if that wasn’t enough, Swift's satirical style and approach have inspired countless writers, thinkers, and satirists that came after him, influencing the development of satire and social commentary in literature for centuries.

Swift’s Writing Advice & What We Can Take from His Work

Swift emphasized clarity, simplicity, and directness when writing, and didn’t shy from the importance of allowing the reader to judge the quality of the work without making excuses or explanations for any shortcomings. Swift believed that if a passage fell short, the reader would discern it without needing the author's justification, and the author themself must take their shortcoming on the chin with grace.

In all, Swift believed in making work that was both complex and accessible, multi-faceted but not half-baked. It is a challenging few balls to keep in the air at once, but ultimately serve as great goals for where one's writing might strive to reach.