![]() ![]() ![]() It’s a brand of satire that has remained popular and is still frequently used today. Why is an essay about eating children so influential? Literary scholars often consider Swift’s essay as one of the first modern pieces of political satire that highlighted injustices by using logical extremes to formulate an absurd argument. Swift’s essay was controversial at the time but has since become a staple of satire, influencing many writers. The phrase a modest proposal is often used to suggest something in jest in order to point out a problem by pushing it to its logical extreme. ![]() It is used ironically in the title of “A Modest Proposal” because the proposal is actually outrageous. Modest is an adjective meaning reasonable or humble. A proposal, when in the form of an essay, usually offers a solution to a social or political problem. ![]() Satire is a literary tool used to ridicule human foolishness and evil through humor and irony. The full title of Swift’s essay, considered a masterpiece of irony, is “A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of the Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to Their Public.” The phrase a modest proposal is now often used ironically to introduce an idea that is radical or outrageous. “A Modest Proposal” is the shortened title of a 1729 essay by satirist Jonathan Swift in which he ironically proposes that the people of Ireland sell their children as food. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |