A modest proposal

Written in 1729, 'A Modest Proposal' is a Juvenalian satirical essay that critiques the harsh treatment of the Irish by the English and the social and economic conditions of Ireland.

Swift suggests, in a hyperbolic and ironic manner, that poor Irish families could sell their children as food to wealthy English landowners.

The essay is a scathing critique of the heartless attitudes towards the poor, British policy towards Ireland, and the incompetence of Irish politicians.

It uses sustained irony and rhetorical devices to expose the absurdity of quick-fix solutions to social problems and to highlight the dire state of Ireland under British rule.