The Life of Jonathan Swift Essay Example for Free

The Life of Jonathan Swift Essay Life has always been filled with people who have given much in their lives to contribute to the betterment of society. They surpass the boundaries that have been set by the government and the people around them, just to make a difference in the world. One of these people was Jonathan Swift. Jonathan Isaac Bickerstaff Swift was born on November 30, 1667 in Dublin, Ireland. He was the only son and second child of Abigaile Erick Swift and Jonathan Swift. Since he was named after his father, he was often called Jonathan Junior or simply Junior. Before he was born, Jonathan’s father died. His other relatives were of great assistance just so he could have a good education (Incompetech website, n. d. ). In 1686, he was able to graduate from Trinity College in Dublin. He immediately went to England to open new doors, and was fortunate enough to be accepted as the secretary of Sir William Temple. Living with Sir William paved way for Jonathan to meet a young lady, who later became an important part of his life. He met Esther Johnson and became her tutor. In between his sessions, he would scribble down his thoughts and ideas, but eventually burned them. Upon Sir William’s death, Jonathan was jobless and eventually became a fashionable satiric writer for Dublin (Incompetech website, n. d. ). Soon after, Stella, as he fondly called her, moved to Ireland just so she could be near him. Their relationship was a source of all gossips in town, because of their difference in age. Some said that the two lovers were even married in 1716. When Stella died in 1728, Jonathan Swift was desolated, and hid a lock of the lady love’s hair in his things until the day he died (Pegasos, 2000). His political ambitions were never taken aside. When Queen Anne was in position, Jonathan became the vicar of Kilroot. He then wrote for the Tattler, a newspaper, from 1708-1709. His writing skills were tested further when he became one of the founders of the Scriblerus Club. He worked together with the Pope, Congreve, and Robert Harley (Pegasos, 2000). The years 1713 – 1742 were the years when Jonathan was dean of the St. Patricks Cathedral. He became deaf in his early twenties, and many people thought that he was insane. During one of his conversations with Edward Young, he said that he would be mentally incapacitated when he reached the age of fifty. Basically he was ready to face this mentally challenging state early on in his life (Pegasos, 2000). He died on October 19, 1745 in Dublin Ireland due to Alzheimers disease. He died leaving behind his legacy through the numerous poetries and proses written in pamphlets (Pegasos, 2000). 1726 was another great year for Jonathan Swift. This was the time when he wrote and published the famous prose entitled, Gullivers Travels. At first reading, the book may be classified as a childrens book, although the writer had an underlying meaning behind each even in Gullivers life. The book showcased most of Jonathans feelings and emotions about the social problems at that time (Incompetech website, n. d. ). One of Jonathans works was evident in the proposal he wrote about the children in 1729. Entitled, â€Å"A Modest Proposal: For Preventing The Children of Poor People in Ireland From Being Aburden to Their Parents Or Country, and For Making Them Beneficial to The Public† (Art-Bin, n. d. ), focused on how the children of their time suffered the hardships in life. From the title alone, we can see that Jonathan wanted the children to live normal lives before they had to endure the hardships and realities of life. His main purpose in writing the proposal was to help uplift the lives people had in their society at that time. He had no children of his own, so the proposal he wrote was not of great bearing to his life. All he wanted was for people to first realize that the children should not be placed in situations that could ruin their lives, and eventually their futures (Art-bin, n. d). Although Jonathans book, Gullivers Travels, was well received by many, he always stood for his beliefs and oppositions on the inequalities of the government towards his native land. When he finally decided to run for politics, he kept his distance form the Whig and Tory parties. He wanted to be individually known for his works and accomplishments, other than the association that may be given to him by either parties. His writings were mostly satiric, meaning they made use of sarcastic words, and exposed the hard realities of their life at that time. Although the book was creative in manner and well suited for children, many were alarmed by his writings, for they opened new ideas for people (Westchester University, n. d. ). His writings were not only isolated to proses. He also participated in writing papers involving ecclesiastical matters, such as the â€Å"Three Sermons and Prayers†, which he wrote in 1744. Some of his other works were included in his book, The â€Å"Writings on Religion and the Church†, which was finally published in 1898 (Merriman, 2008). It was said that Jonathan had published a collection of his works three years before he slipped into senility. Eventually, he suffered from a paralytic stroke in 1738. The people close to him started to care for the ill Jonthan Swift. In 1742, his belongings and affairs were soon cared for by appointed guardians (Victorian Web, 2000). His life was lived to the fullest, and he made sure that people remembered him as someone who had hoped for the upheaval of society in Ireland. He left behind his legacy through the numerous poetries and proses he wrote in pamphlets. He died on October 19, 1745 in Dublin Ireland due to Alzheimers disease. (Pegasos, 2000). Jonathans remains were laid beside his beloved wife, Stella, inside the St. Patricks Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland (Merriman, 2008). With his own epitaph written, Jonathan became successful in accomplishing his dreams of being a well known person. He is in fact, forever remembered by his countrymen and of the whole world, forever. Jonathan Swift may have suffered before he died, but he was able to open the eyes of the people to the reality that was happening right before their eyes. He was an enemy to some, but an inspiration for many. His works will forever be present to inspire us and the children of the future to go on and be someone. References (. n. d. ). Jonathan isaac bickerstaff swift. Incompetech. Retrieved May 2, 2008 from http://incompetech. com/authors/swift/. West Chester University. (n. d. ). Jonathan swift: A modest proposal 1729. Retrieved May 2, 2008 from http://courses. wcupa. edu/wanko/LIT400/ireland/jonanthan_swift. htm (2007). Ireland. MSN encarta. Retrieved May 2, 2008 from http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761566701_9/Ireland. html. (n. d. ). A modest proposal. The art bin origo. Retrieved May 3, 2008 from http://art-bin. com/art/omodest. html (2000). Books and writers. Pegasos. Retrieved May 3, 2008 from http://www. kirjasto. sci. fi/jswift. htm (2000). A chronology of jonathan swifts life. The victorian web. Retrieved May 5, 2008 from http://www. victorianweb. org/previctorian/swift/chron. html. Merriman, C. D. (2008). Jonathan Swift. The literature network. Retrieved May 5, 2008 from