Question

Swift wrote "A Modest Proposal” during a time of great strife in Ireland. Much of the population lived in stark poverty, while the ruling class did little to improve the country’s situation. Read the excerpt from "A Modest Proposal” carefully, paying careful attention to the satirical devices Swift uses to build his argument. Then write a well-organized three-paragraph essay in which you describe how Swift uses satirical devices to achieve a specific purpose. Be sure to select and include specific evidence from the text to help you develop and support your line of reasoning

Answer 1

In Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal,” the author satirically bemoans the lack of human feelings by the British lords over the Irish poor.

 

What is Satire?

Satire is the generous use of humor, exaggeration, or irony to criticize a government official or their policies. It is a literary device employed by many authors and poets to draw attention to the social conditions of the less-privileged members of society or the excesses of their governments.

 

Swift's "A Modest Proposal"

In many instances, Swift satirically makes an economic proposal to the powers that be in Ireland. He suggests that the Lords should use the bodies of the Irish poor as meat delicacies. The satirical solution, according to Jonathan Swift, would lessen the population of the Irish poor, ensuring financial abundance and affordable food for the rich.

 

Thus, the author of "A Modest Proposal" satirizes the unfortunate circumstances in which the Irish poor lived while their British lords lorded it over them.

 

Learn more about Swift's Use of Satire in A Modest Proposal here: brainly.com/question/10121048