Analysis Of Swift s A Modest Proposal - 1546 Words

Madeleine Roepe EN323 Rzepka 3/9/15 Swift and Blake’s Use of Irony and Persona In Satire In the context of political questions and social activism, irony, exaggeration, humor, and ridicule are all valuable rhetorical tools to expose faults and make a point (New Oxford American Dictionary). Both Jonathan Swift and William Blake confront social systems of oppression in their literary careers, most notably with A Modest Proposal and Songs of Innocence respectively. Swift’s A Modest Proposal is an address to the wealthy English and appeal to the consumerism that drives economic exploitation that causes inequity and poverty. Due to the tense political climate and potential ramifications of his criticism, Swift published the essay anonymously and therefore had to create a persona within the essay to speak for him. Swift uses this unique narrative persona to ironically confront this oppressor class. Blake also makes rhetorical use of the persona and irony to make ideological points but in a noticeably different way; the speaker he creates uses the voice of those being ex ploited by English social systems rather than a privileged observer. In his poem â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper,† Blake adopts the voice of a young boy sold into labor. His discussion of mistreatment is more psychological in nature, and contains a complexity considerably absent in Swift’s writing. Each perspective has its merits, but which is the more effective means of satire? In his opening, Swift’s speaker misleads readersShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis Of Swift s A Modest Proposal1076 Words   |  5 Pages Mansoon Acharya Kayla Schreiber H1003 October 10, 2017 Rhetorical Analysis on Swift’s A Modest Proposal A Modest Proposal is a sarcastic humored essay that examines the attitude of the rich towards the poor starving children in their society. Swift uses many rhetorical devices. Swift uses logical metaphors, repetition, and humor, satire and sarcasm tone to point out the negative attitudes. He starts by blaming the mothers of the children by telling them they should work hard and work honestly insteadRead MoreAnalysis Of Jonathan Swift s A Modest Proposal956 Words   |  4 Pagesissue for the Irish and became a topic of satire ridicule for writers. Specifically, Jonathan Swift demonstrates mockery of this time in one of his written works, â€Å"A Modest Proposal.† The speaker proposes to shift the issues of over population and poverty to a business like mentality by paying woman to bare children and then after a year, gaining a profit by selling and eat their children. The speaker’s proposal to consume the children of Ireland demonstrates a satirical solution to the Irish ’s economicRead MoreAnalysis of Johnathan Swift ´s A Modest Proposal Essay599 Words   |  3 PagesA Modest Proposal was written in 1729 by a man of the name Johnathan Swift. This is a piece of early satire. He writes this to insult the early government system and mocks the heartless attitude that they have against the poor. He does this by writing a proposal that absolutely is outlandish and unthinkable, starting by addressing the current issue. â€Å"FOR PREVENTING THE CHILDREN OF POOR PEOPLE IN IRELAND FROM BEING A BURDEN TO THEIR PARENTS OR COUNTRY, AND FOR MAKING THEM BENEFICIAL TO THE PUBLIC†Read MoreAnalysis of Jonathan Swift ´s A Modest Proposal Essay532 Words   |  3 Pagesissue hasn’t been fazed a bit. From Jonathan Swift’s Modest Proposal, he clarifies the poverty issued throughout Ireland in the early 1700’s and how one suggestion could change it all. Elaborated from the Literary Reference Center, â€Å"A Modest Proposal, like G ulliver’s Travels, transcends the political, social, and economic crisis that gave birth to it, woeful as they were. Packed with irony and satirical revelations of the human condition†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Swift wasn’t just writing a masterpiece, but an intended,Read MoreAnalysis Of Jonathan Swift s A Modest Proposal And Li Ruzhen s Flowers994 Words   |  4 PagesThere are many uses of satire in Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal and in Li Ruzhen’s Flowers in the Mirror. Both of these readings address social issues during the 17th and 18th century and address them with various uses of satire to help emphasize their thoughts of dislike and carry that to their readers. Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal proposes using poor bastard children as food to help the poverty level along with other social issues that come with poor women carrying children and havingRead MoreJonathan Swift s Modest Proposal1562 Words   |  7 PagesEmpire. Thesis: Jonathan Swift s Modest Proposal is the most effective in conveying its proposal against Imperialism as a universal theme. Directional Statement: Jonathan Swift s Modest Proposal successfully uses evidence to support its proposal and an effective style of writing. It also presents a clearly defined problem and solution compared to George Orwell s â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† and Thomas Jefferson s â€Å"Declaration of Independence†. Point 1: Swift s Modest Proposal effectively uses appropriateRead MoreLiterary Analysis : Jonathan Swift1425 Words   |  6 PagesEllen Griffith Freshman Comp. II Oct. 27, 2015 Literary analysis The author I decided to write about is Jonathan Swift for he had a keen sense for effective sarcasm. As Jonathan Swift said â€Å"The proper words in the proper places are the true definition of style.† Though he was known in different ways, he was mostly popularized through his gift in writing, particularly his satire, or his use of humor and irony, essays. Through out swift life, there has been plenty of events where I believe shapeRead MoreSimilarities between Martin Luther Kings Letter from Birmingham Jail and Jonathan Swifts A Modest Proposal1358 Words   |  6 Pages Even the most cursory analysis of Letter From Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr. and A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift reveals glaring differences between the two essays. Surprisingly, a side-by-side comparison also yields many similarities between the two works. The most obvious similarity between the two essays is the overarching theme of the subject matter. In both essays, the writers address deeply-entrenched social injustices. For example, in Letter From Birmingham JailRead MoreEssay on Analysis of A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift1081 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift In his biting political satire called ?A Modest Proposal,? Jonathan Swift seeks to create empathy for the poor through his ironic portrayal of the children of Irish beggars as commodities that can be regulated and even eaten. He is able to poke fun at the dehumanization of the multitudes of poor people in Ireland by ironically commenting on what he sees as an extension of the current situation. Swift?s essay seeks to comment on the terribleRead MoreNotes On Reading : Https1593 Words   |  7 Pagesbased on specific questions from below and/or questions using your answers for deeper analysis. We will then further discuss this piece of writing. How does Swift want the reader to view the speaker? What features best describe the â€Å"persona† he adopts? Give examples from the text. Jonathan Swift wants the readers to view him as a pragmatic and heartless realist who has found a solution to a serious issue. Swift used sophisticated diction to list seemingly sensible reasons as to why his horrifying