Cover of A Modest Proposal and Other Satirical Works

A Modest Proposal and Other Satirical Works

The originality, concentrated power and 'fierce indignation' of his satirical writing have earned Jonathan Swift a reputation as the greatest prose satirist in English literature. Gulliver's Travelsis, of course, his world renowned masterpiece in the genre; however, Swift wrote other, shorter works that also offer excellent evidence of his inspired lampoonery. Perhaps the most famous of these is A Modest Proposal, in which he straight-facedly suggests that Ireland could solve its hunger problems by using its children for food. Also included in this collection are The Battle of Books, A Meditation upon a Broomstick, A Discourse Concerning the Mechanical Operations of the Spiritand An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity in England.

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This inexpensive edition will certainly be welcomed by teachers and students of English literature, but its appeal extends to any reader who delights in watching a master satirist wield words as weapons.

Audience
adult
Length
short · 64 pages

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