Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift was a prominent Anglo-Irish author, known for his essayist, satirist, political pamphleteer, cleric, poet, and novelist work. He is considered one of the greatest satirists in the English language, with his prose works being more well-known than his poetry. Swift was born in Dublin, Ireland, on November 30, 1667, to parents who were natives of Goodrich, Herefordshire, but moved to Ireland after the family's estate was destroyed in the English Civil War. Swift's father died before he was born, and he was raised by his uncle, who was the Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin.

Swift was educated at Trinity College in Dublin and received his Doctor of Divinity in 1702. He became the Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, a position he held until his death. Swift was a prolific writer who published his works under various pseudonyms, such as Lemuel Gulliver, Isaac Bickerstaff, and M.B. Drapier, or anonymously. He was a master of two styles of satire, Horatian and Juvenalian, and his writing is known for its ironic, deadpan style that later became known as Swiftian.

Swift is best remembered for his works like Gulliver's Travels, A Tale of Tub, Drapier's Letters, An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity, and many others. His works like "Gulliver's Travels" and "A Modest Proposal" are considered classics in English literature. Swift's satirical works were not just humorous but also carried a deeper message, often criticizing politics, religion, and human nature. His works have had a significant influence on English literature, and he is still widely read and studied today. Swift died in 1745, leaving the bulk of his fortune to found St. Patrick's Hospital for Imbeciles, a hospital for the mentally ill, which continues to operate as a psychiatric hospital today.