Jonathan Swift
A Modest Proposal 1729
"I have been assured by a very knowing American of my Acquaintance in London; that a young healthy Child, well nursed, is, at a Year old, a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome Food; whether Stewed, Roasted, Baked or Boiled; and I, make no doubt, that it will equally serve in a Fricasie or Ragoust.
Swift is commonly known for Gulliver's Travels, however his satirical and political prose and poetry were jumpstarted by his residency in Ireland. He remained at the forfront of politics in Dublin, and commented extensively on the inequalities of his native land. His associations with Pope, Addison, Steele, Arbuthnot, and Gay demonstrate his involvement in the intellectual community, as well as his membership in the Scriblerus Club.
Swift's position in the political arena was slippery at best because of his unassociation with either the Whig or Tory parties. He once stated the greatest threat to the established church was from Non-conformists rather than the Papists, which was recognized as a Troy sentiment. However, he also said he 'was always a Whig in Politicks.'
Satire - the use of irony, sarcasm, or ridicule in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc. A literary composition or genre in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn.
Travel literature - a written piece designed to critique, describe, or analyze a place for travel; often opinionated