Jonathan Swift Dies

Jonathan Swift, the Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist, and cleric, died in Dublin in 1745. He served for much of his life as Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, and he ranks among the foremost prose satirists in the English language.

Swift is best known for Gulliver's Travels, published in 1726, a richly inventive satire that follows Lemuel Gulliver through fantastical lands such as Lilliput and Brobdingnag while mocking human folly, politics, and pride. Though often read as a children's adventure, the book is a pointed commentary on the society of his day.

He also wrote the savage essay A Modest Proposal, which ironically suggested that the Irish poor sell their children as food, as well as A Tale of a Tub and numerous political pamphlets. His biting wit and command of irony made his name synonymous with satire itself.