About the Author

Jonathan Swift was born on November 30, 1667, in Dublin, Ireland. His father had died seven months before his birth, and his mother left him to be raised by his uncle Godwin. In 1692, Swift published his first work, a poem called "Ode to the Athenian Society." Later, in the early 1700s, Swift became active in London politics. Although Swift published many works, he is best known for Gulliver's Travels and the satirical pamphlet, A Modest Proposal. He died in 1745.