JONATHAN SWIFT: THE STORY OF A GREAT WRITER

JONATHAN SWIFT AS A WRITER

Jonathan Swift as a writer, was an Anglo-Irish author who lived from 1667 until 1745. He would become famous for his political essays and satirical works. Swift challenged the social and political standards of the time through the use of satire and parody. In spite of the fact that he was an outspoken advocate for the incorporation of religion into every facet of life, he also advocated for a type of governance in England that was more democratic and representational. His most well-known works are the satirical pamphlet A Modest Proposal (1729) and the book Gulliver’s Travels (1726), both of which were published in 1726.

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Jonathan Swift’s Formative Years

Background and Schooling

The Irishman Jonathan Swift came into this world in Dublin on November 30, 1667. His dad, Jonathan Swift, was from Goodrich in Herefordshire, and his mom, Abigail Erick, was from the Leicestershire settlement of Frisby on the Wreake. He had a sister who was older than him, and her name was Jane. Originally from England, the Swifts were a staunch royalist family. After the Roundheads devastated their estate near the conclusion of the English Civil War, Senior Jonathan Swift followed his older brother Godwin to Ireland to pursue a legal career. Through his efforts, he was able to gain a humble position as a Steward of the King’s Inn.

The elder Jonathan Swift passed away in the early months of 1667, and the following November was when his son Jonathan Jr. was born. His mother, who had no means of support, returned to England after leaving him in the care of Godwin, who was a well-respected solicitor in Dublin at the time. Jonathan entered Kilkenny Grammar School in 1673, a time when it was among Ireland’s most distinguished educational institutions. His time in England with his nurse had preceded that. He did very well in literature and languages in school.

Jonathan Swift’s Advanced Years

At England’s Moor Park

Jonathan Swift remained quite close to his mother, who had resided in Leicester by the time he arrived in England, and he contacted her upon his arrival. Even though Godwin Swift’s son Willoughby helped out a bit, it was crucial that Swift strike out on her own by that point because Godwin had already passed away.

Mrs. Swift was connected to the spouse of Sir William Temple, an English Statesman who had already retired from active duty and was residing in his rural property in Moor Park, Surrey, while writing his memoir. Jonathan Swift got a job in Sir William Temple’s household about the year 1689. At first, he was Sir William’s amanuensis and kept the household books. But in 1690, he went back to Ireland because he got sick quickly. This was perhaps the first sign of Ménière’s disease, which he suffered from throughout his life.

At first, Jonathan tried to find new work in Ireland, but he was unsuccessful. Hence, he went back to England and, in the fall of 1691, took a job with Sir William Temple again. This time, his master trusted him more, and his status rose. Now, Jonathan Swift was consulted on a number of crucial issues. In addition to introducing him to King William III, his master frequently dispatched him to London to discuss vital matters. Swift was also able to finish his education with his assistance; in 1692, he earned an M.A. from Hart Hall, Oxford.

At this point in time, Swift also picked up a pen for the first time. He moved from poetry to short essays before beginning work on his debut novel, A Tale of Tub, in 1694. But he was unhappy. He began to yearn for greater employment opportunities, despite the fact that his job at the Moor Park was generally fulfilling, providing him with plenty of spare time and granting him access to higher society. As a result, he departed from Moor Park and settled in Ireland in 1694.

There, on October 25, 1694, the Bishop of Kildare consecrated him a deacon. The prebend of Kilroot, in the Diocese of Connor, close to Belfast, was appointed to him later on 13 January 1695. Nonetheless, things were still not up to par. He was stifled by his poverty and the fact that he lived in a distant town, far from the center of power. This led him to go back to Moor Park in May of 1696.

His involvement with Sir William Temple’s memoir and its subsequent publication began at this point. In reaction to criticism of Sir William Temple’s Essay upon Ancient and Modern Learning, Swift also penned The Battle of the Books during this period. But neither of his novels came out until 1704. On January 27, 1699, Temple passed away. Because of his involvement with Temple’s memoir, Swift stayed in England for a few extra months. Subsequently, he made fruitless attempts to secure work with King William.

Jonathan Swift As a Writer

Swift took a position as secretary and chaplain to the Earl of Berkeley, who was one of the Lords Justice of Ireland because he was unable to secure anything substantial. Unfortunately, he found out that someone else had been appointed in his stead when he embarked on the lengthy journey to Ireland from England. He stayed in Ireland despite his disappointment and became prebend of Dunlavin in Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 1700. He served as Lord Berkeley’s chaplain at the same time. Swift was conferred the degree of Doctor of Divinity by Trinity College, Dublin in 1702.

With such a little congregation, he was left with little to do and plenty of time on his hands, so he turned his attention to writing. But Lord Berkeley’s chaplaincy necessitated frequent trips to London and Dublin. A Tale of a Tub and The Battle of the Books were published anonymously in 1704 during his tour to England. Despite the disapproval of the Church of England, they gained immense popularity.

Entering Into Politics

After that, from 1707 to 1710, Jonathan Swift was politically involved and made multiple trips to London. Encouraging the Whig administration to provide Irish clergies with the same benefits as their English counterparts was his primary objective. But he failed miserably at that. Swift then served as editor of “The Examiner” from November 1710 to 1714, following the Tories’ 1710 accession to power. Additionally, he was a member of the Tory government’s inner circle and participated in numerous crucial decision-making sessions.

On the other hand, in November 1711, he released The Conduct of the Allies and of the Late Ministry in Beginning and Carrying on the Present Conflict, in which he criticized the Whig administration for their inaction in bringing an end to the conflict with France. Along with Alexander Pope, John Gay, and John Arbuthnot, he founded the Scriblerus Club in 1713 to continue his literal interests. He was a founding member of this loosely knit group of writers.

Returning to Ireland

An ecclesiastical appointment in England would have been a fitting recompense for Jonathan Swift’s contributions to the Tories, according to Swift. But Queen Anne’s opposition meant it never came to fruition. Simultaneously, the Tories’ impending demise became crystal evident. Following his appointment as Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, in 1713, Swift made the decision to return to Ireland.

At first, he was extremely unhappy and likened his predicament to a rat stuck in a poisoned hole. Consequently, he took a long break from writing. He thereafter began to advocate for Irish concerns by penning pamphlets. The government did not approve of him being an Irish patriot, therefore they tried to suppress him in various ways. His ‘Drapier’s Letters’ is a compilation of seven pamphlets that are similar to these.

While this was going on, Swift started writing what would become his magnum opus, Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, in Four Parts by Lemuel Gulliver, first a surgeon and then a captain of several ships. It was renamed Gulliver’s Travels after its 1726 publication. His lifelong companion, Esther Johnson, passed away in 1728. Swift was very upset by the subsequent string of fatalities. He shifted his focus from writing on English politics to penning pro-Irish pamphlets, and he eventually lost interest in both.

His 1729 work, A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from Being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick, was an attempt to alleviate wealth inequality. A Modest Proposal, as it is commonly known, was his final significant work.

Jonathan Swift’s Personal Life

Jonathan Swift met Esther Johnson, who was eight years old at the time, while he was residing at Moor Park. Esther Johnson’s mother had been widowed and was the companion of Lady Giffard, who was Sir William Temple’s sister. He first took on the role of her instructor and bestowed the nickname Stella upon her. They became good friends over time, despite their age gap. Esther, who was twenty years old at the time, moved in with him to his Irish home in October 1702

. Although many people had the suspicion that they were secretly married, there is no proof to support that theory. In addition, they shared the house with Rebecca Dingley, who was also a member of William Temple’s family.

On the other hand, he met Esther Vanhomrigh, whom he referred to as Vanessa, in 1707 during his time in London. Over the course of sixteen to seventeen years, they enjoyed a passionate connection; nevertheless, in 1723, she requested that he refrain from seeing Stella, and he refused. Their relationship came to a halt because of this.

During this time, he allegedly had an affair with Anne Long, who is believed to be Vanessa’s cousin. A relationship blossomed between them after they met at Vanessa’s house in 1707. But his relationships with Stella and Vanessa were much more intense. The death of Stella on January 28, 1728, had the greatest impact on Jonathan Swift. As a memorial to her, he penned The Death of Mrs. Johnson while sitting at her bedside and praying. In subsequent years, he arranged for her burial at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Death

From this point on, death is Swift’s constant companion. It was in 1731 that he penned Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift, which would later be published in 1739 as his own obituary.

Swift started to exhibit symptoms of disease in 1738, and it is believed that he had a stroke in 1742, which caused him to lose his speech and fulfill his darkest fears of becoming mentally incapacitated. He started fighting more frequently, and people he’d had for a long time, like Thomas Sheridan, terminated their friendships with him for no good reason. His closest friends had him proclaimed mentally ill and memory impaired so that he would be safe from the shady characters who had started preying on the great guy. Nevertheless, many people thought Swift was genuinely nuts at the time.

Even Swift’s-“insanity” is argued for by J. B. Priestley in Literature and the Western Man, who uses the last chapters of Gulliver’s Travels as evidence. Bewley claimed that his decline was due to ‘terminal dementia’. Will Durant states in part eight of his series The Story of Civilization that Swift’s last years were marked by the emergence of clear signs of insanity in 1738.

In 1741, Swift had guardians assigned to oversee his business and prevent him from hurting himself during his violent episodes. When his left eye became inflamed and swollen to the size of an egg in 1742, he was in excruciating pain and five of his attendants had to hold him back from ripping out his eye. On top of that, he remained silent for an entire year.

Swift passed away on October 19, 1745, at the age of nearly 80. In keeping with his desires, he was laid to rest in his own cathedral alongside Esther Johnson after being laid out in plain view so that the people of Dublin might pay their respects. His will bequeathed the majority of his wealth—£12,000—to establish a mental institution, which was first called St. Patrick’s Hospital for Imbeciles and first opened in 1757; it is still in operation today.