Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift, scrittore irlandese. La biografia, l'elenco delle opere e i riconoscimenti ottenuti durante la sua carriera. Scopri e acquista i suoi libri.
Biografia
Jonathan Swift è considerato il massimo scrittore di lingua inglese del suo tempo ed uno dei più grandi satirici mai esistiti.
Nacque nel 1667 da genitori inglesi stabilitisi in Irlanda e durante l’infanzia studiò a Kilkenny (Kilkenny School) e poi a Dublino (Trinity College). Recatosi in Inghilterra dietro consiglio della madre, conobbe, nella casa di Sir William Temple, Esther Johnson (Stella), alla quale rimarrà legato per tutta la vita.
Dopo aver preso gli ordini religiosi fu nominato parroco di Kilroot, vivendo però prevalentemente a Londra dove partecipò ai circoli politici più importanti. Divenne consigliere del governo Tory appoggiandolo con libelli ed articoli.
Con la caduta del governo Swift tornò in Irlanda avendo ottenuto il ruolo di decano della Chiesa di St. Patrick a Dublino.
In questo periodo di permanenza nell’isola denunciò le vessazioni cui il popolo irlandese (che egli peraltro disprezzava) era sottoposto da parte degli inglesi e del governo locale. Dopo la morte delle persone a lui più care, i suoi disturbi mentali aumentarono sempre di più fino a portarlo alla morte nel 1745.
Opere
- A Discourse on the Contests and Dissentions between Noble and Commons in Athens and Rome, 1701.
- A Tale of a Tub, 1704
- An Account of the Battle between the Ancient and Modern Books in St. James’s Library, 1704
- Mechanical Operations of the Spirit,1704
- Letter on the Sacramental Test, 1708
- An Argument to Prove That the Abolishing of Christianity in England, May as Things Now Stand, Be Attended with Some Inconveniencies, 1708
- The Sentiments of a Church of England Man with respect to Religion and Government, 1708
- The Bickerstaff Papers, 1708
- Project for the Advancement of Learning, 1708
- A Project for the Advancement of Religion and the Reformation of Manners, 1709
- Hints Towards an Essay on Conversation, 1709
- Meditation upon a Broomstick, 1710
- The Virtues of Sid Hamet the Magician’s Rod, 1710
- Miscellanies in Prose and Verse, 1711.
- The Conduct of the Allies, and of the Late Ministry, in Beginning and Carrying on the Present War, 1711.
- Some Remarks on the Barrier-Treaty, between Her Majesty and the States-General 1712
- Some Advice Humbly Offered to Members of the October Club, 1712
- Letter to a Whig Lord, 1712
- A Proposal for Correcting, Improving, and Ascertaining the English Tongue, 1712
- The Publick Spirit of the Whigs, 1714
- A Proposal for the Universal Use of Irish Manufactures, 1720
- The Swearers-Bank: or, Parliamentary Security for Establishing a new Bank in Ireland, 1720
- On English Bubbles, 1721
- A Letter to a Young Gentleman, lately entered into Holy Order, 1721
- A Letter of Advice to a Young Poet, 1721
- The Drapier’s Letters to the People of Ireland Against Receiving Wood’s Halfpence, 1724-5
- Cademus and Vanessa, 1726
- Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World by Lemuel Gulliver, conosciuto anche come Gulliver’s Travels – 1726
- The Present Miserable State of Ireland, 1727
- A Short View of the State of Ireland, 1727
- Letter to a very young Lady on her Marriage, 1727
- An Account of the Empire of Japan, 1728
- An Essay on Modern Education, 1728
- A Modest Proposal 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, 1729.
- Journal of a Modern Lady, 1729
- The Death of Mrs. Johnson, 1729
- The Grand Question debated, 1729
- An Examination of certain Abuses, Corruptions and Enormities in the City of Dublin, 1732
- The Beasts Confession to the Priest, 1732
- An Infallible Scheme to pay the Publick Debt of this Nation in Six Months, 1732
- A Proposal for an Act of Parliament to Pay off the Debt of the Nation without Taxing the Subject, 1732.
- A Serious and Useful Scheme to make a Hospital for Incurables, 1733
- On Poetry: A Rhapsody, 1733
- The Life and Genuine Character of Doctor Swift, 1733
- The Presbyterians Plea of Merit, 1733
- The Legion Club, 1736
- Reasons Why We Should not Lower the coins now current in this Kingdom, 1736.
- A Proposal for giving Badges to the Beggars in all the Parishes of Dublin, 1737
- A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation, 1738
- Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift, written by himself in 1731, 1739
- Some Free Thoughts on the Present State of Affairs, 1741
- Sermons, 1744
- On the Difficulty of Knowing Oneself, 1745
- Directions to Servants in General, 1745
- The Story of an Injured Lady, Being a true Picture of Scotch Perfidy, Irish Poverty, and English Partiality, 1746
- History of the Last Four Years of the Queen, 1758
- The Journal to Stella, 1766
- An Essay on the Fates of Clergymen,
- A Treatise on Good Manners and Good Breeding
- Selected Poetry of Jonathan Swift