Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) was an Anglo-Irish author who is regarded as one of the foremost prose satirists in the history of English-language literature. He wrote essays, poetry, pamphlets, and a novel. He often published anonymously or under pseudonyms, including Isaac Bickerstaff, and is noted for his use of ironic invented personas.
Swift’s best-known works are the novel Gulliver’s Travels (1726) and the essay “A Modest Proposal” (1729), both savage works of satire. In particular, Gulliver’s Travels mocked English customs and politics, and “A Modest Proposal” fiercely critiqued England’s legal and economic exploitation of Ireland.