Презентація "Jonathan Swift"

As fierce a beak and talon as ever struck, as strong a wing as ever beat, belong to Swift. THACKERAY Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift was the greatest of English satirists. His bitter satire was aimed at the contemporary social order in general, and at the policy of the English bourgeoisie towards the Irish in particular.

Jonathan Swift was born in Dublin on the 30th of November in 1667, seven months after his father’s death. The boy knew little of his mother’s care, but he was supported by his uncle Godwin.

At the age of six he was sent to Kilkenny School, which he left at fourteen. Then he entered Trinity College in Dublin and got his Bachelor’s degree in 1686.

With his mother’s help he became private secretary and account-keeper to Sir William Temple, a retired diplomat and also a writer.

At Moor Park Swift made friends with Hester Johnson, the daughter of the housekeeper. He taught the little girl English spelling and gave her some advice in reading. This friendship lasted all his life. Hester became the Stella of Swift’s famous work “Journal to Stella”.

Having improved his education by taking advantage of Sir William’s library, Swift went to Oxford. He took his Master of Arts degree there in 1692. A recommendation from his patron helped him to get the place of vicar at a little parish church in Ireland. He wrote much and burnt most of what he wrote. But then after his lonely life, he was very glad to accept Sir William Temple’s proposal that he should return to Moor Park.

Jonathan Swift wrote a satire “The Battle of the Books” in 1697. The story is in the form of an allegory. But it was published with another brilliant work by Swift “Tale of a Tub” in 1704. The “Tale of a Tub” is an anti-religious satire.

After the death of Sir William Temple, Swift became a vicar again and went to live in a little place called Laracor, in Ireland. He invited Hester Johnson to come to this place. She had grown up into a beautiful voting woman by then. It is believed that Swift made a secret marriage with Stella, but much of his private life is unknown to us.

At Laracor Swift kept an eye on the political events of London. He went to the coffee-houses, where he talked with the journalists and with the common people. Swift’s conversations with the leaders of the English parties are described in series of letters he wrote to Stella (“Journal to Stella”).

In 1713 Swift became a Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. He saw the miserable conditions in which the population lived there. Swift wrote pamphlets criticizing the policy of England. “Drapier’s Letters” were directed against the English government for their treatment of Ireland. After that Swift became so popular among the Irish people, that he had more real influence over them than the highest constituted authorities.

In 1726 Swift’s masterpiece “Gulliver’s Travels” appeared.

In “Gulliver’s Travels” Swift satirized the evils of the existing society in the form of fictitious travels. The scenes and nations described in the book are so extraordinary and amusing, that the novel is as favourite among children as among adults. It tells of the adventures of a ship’s surgeon. Swift’s inventive genius and biting satire were at their best in this work, which made a great sensation.

In 1728 Stella died after a long illness. This loss affected Swift so deeply that some of his biographers say he was never the same man again. Hard work disappointments in life undetermined Swift’s health. By the end of 1731 his mind was failing rapidly. In 1740 his memory and reason were gone and he became completely deaf. He died on the 19th of October in 1745 in Dublin.