Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift, whose real name was Isaac Bickerstaff, was born 30th November 1667 in Dublin, Ireland. His Father had died some seven months before Jonathan was born, and his mother would later move to England when he was still a young boy. Left in the care of his paternal uncle, Godwin Swift, Jonathan would receive some education from his uncle, and then move on to study at Kilkenny College and then Dublin University. After graduating, Jonathan decided to travel to England where he found employment as a secretary to a retired diplomat whose name was William Temple. Jonathan also continued with his education, receiving an MA from Oxford University in 1692. While studying he had begun to write poetry, but would turn his attention to a prose based in satire. After publishing his first major work, A Tale of a Tub, in 1704, Jonathan turned his attention to another area that interested him – politics. The Tories, a political party opposed to the Whig government of the time, fascinated Jonathan and he would help to write their pamphlets, and serve as Editor of their newspaper called The Examiner. However, by August 1714 the reputation of the Tories had been ruined and Jonathan moved back to Ireland. As a writer, his most accomplished work was published in 1726; Gulliver’s Travels was immediately successful and its tapestry of fantasy and biting satire captured the public’s imagination, and would see Jonathan forever respected for his wit as a writer. In later years Jonathan’s health declined when a condition he had suffered from as a child – Meniere’s disease – worsened, and he also suffered a paralytic stoke. Jonathan Swift died on 19th October 1745.

No results found