Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift

B1

Emily Salmun Buzali

March 23th, 2023.

"Invention is the talent of youth, and judgement of age"

Jonathan Swift

Index

04. 'Gulliver's Travels' and Later Years

01. Who Was He?

02. Early Life & Education

05. Death

06. Bibliography

03. Writings

01. Who was Jonathan Swift?

He was also...

Irish author

He was a clergyman and satirist, Jonathan Swift grew up fatherless. His uncle took care of him, he received a bachelor's degree from Trinity College and then worked as a statesman's assistant.

1. An essayist.
2. Political pamphleteer.
3. Poet and cleric who became Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin.

02. Early Life and Education

He was born in Dublin, Ireland on November 30, 1667. His father died two months before he arrived. His mother struggled to provide for her child. Swift was a sickly kid. He suffered from Meniere's Disease. Swift's mother gave him over to Godwin Swift, her late husband's brother and member of the respected professional attorney and judges group Gray's Inn. Godwin enrolled his nephew in the Kilkenny Grammar School (1674–1682), which was perhaps the best school in Ireland at the time. Swift's transition from a life of poverty to a rigorous private school setting proved challenging. He made a fast friend in William Congreve, the future poet and playwright. At 14, he began his studies at Trinity College in Dublin. In 1686, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree and went on to pursue a master's. The Glorious Revolution of 1688 made Swift move to England and start anew. His mom found a secretary position for him under the English statesman. For 10 years, he worked in Surrey's Moor Park and acted as an assistant to Temple. He was impressed by Swift's abilities and after a time, entrusted him with sensitive and important tasks.

During his Moor Park years, Swift met the daughter of Temple's housekeeper, a girl just 8 years old named Esther Johnson. When they first met, she was 15 years Swift's junior, but despite the age gap, they became lovers for the rest of their lives. He acted as her mentor and tutor, and gave her the nickname "Stella." Their relationship lasted until Johnson's death. It was rumored that they married in 1716, and that Swift kept of lock of Johnson's hair in his possession at all times.

03. Writings

Generales

Over the course of her decade working for Temple, Swift returned to Ireland twice. In 1699 Temple passed away. Swift completed the job of editing and publishing his memoir, not without disputes from various members of the Temple family, Then he accepted a less prominent position as secretary and chaplain to the Earl of Berkeley. After making the long journey to the earl's estate, Swift was informed that the position was filled. He also returned to writing. His first political pamphlet was entitled A Discourse Concerning the Strife and Dissensions in Athens and Rome. In 1704 Swift anonymously published A Tale of a Tub and The Battle of the Books. He was ostensibly critical of religion, however Swift commented on it as a parody of pride. Aware of the Tory government inner circle, Swift exposed his private thoughts and feelings in a sequence of letters to his beloved Stella.

'Gulliver's Travels' and Later Years

04.

Once she saw that the Tories would quickly fall from power, Swift returned to Ireland. Although he was still in contact with Esther Johnson, it is documented that he had a romantic relationship with Esther Vanhomrigh (whom she called Vanessa). His courtship with her inspired his long and historical poem, "Cadenus and Vanessa". It is also rumored that she had an interaction with the famous beauty Anne Long. Patrick's, Swift began drafting what would become his most notorious creation. In 1726, having finally finished with the manuscript, he moved to London and benefited from the support of various friends, who published it anonymously as Travels to Some Remote Nations of the World, in 4 Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, first a surgeon and later a captain of various ships, also known more simply as Gulliver's Travels. Interestingly, a significant part of the story points to historical events that Swift had lived through years earlier during strong political turmoil. Not long after the holiday of this work, Swift's love, Esther Johnson, fell ill. The outcome of her story led Swift to write The Death of Mrs. Johnson.

05. Death

How did he die?

In 1742, Swift suffered from a stroke and lost the ability to speak. On October 19th, 1745, Swift died. He was laid to rest next to Esther inside Dublin's St. Patrick's Cathedral.

10.

Bibliografía

Jonathan Swift.

Jonathan Swift: libros y biografía autor

• (March 7, 2023). Biography. https://www.biography.com/authors-writers/jonathan-swift

• Lecturalia.com. (s. f.). Lecturalia. https://www.lecturalia.com/autor/5312/jonathan-swift

Thanks for your attention!!

Emily Salmun Buzali