A Modest Proposal and Other Writings

A new selection of works by Britain's foremost prose satirist Easing poverty in Ireland by eating the children of the poor was the satirical "solution" suggested by Jonathan Swift in his essay "A Modest Proposal" (1729). Here Swift unleashes the full power of his ironic armory and corrosive wit, striking his targets-the ruling class and avaricious landlords-with deadly precision. This masterly essay is accompanied by a generous selection of prose works, among them humorous pamphlets critiquing British rule in his native Ireland, articles and correspondence, a loving eulogy to his beloved "Stella," the daughter of a house servant whom he mentored, and pieces on such diverse subjects as the nature of broomsticks, the joys of punning, and comical rules for servants.

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), a poet, satirist, and clergyman, published many satirical works, as well as the novel Gulliver's Travels.
Carole Fabricant is a professor of English at the University of California, Riverside. She is the author of Swift's Landscape and has published a number of works on eighteenth-century writers.