A Modest Proposal

                                                                           The poem ‘A Modest Proposal’, written by Jonathan Swift in 1729 was a form of sharp satire pointing out the problem of widespread poverty and a lack of action on the part of the monarchy.  The poem itself was a bit melancholy. However, he manages to assert his disdain for certain religious groups as well as presenting a morbidly detailed plan of action for consideration by the ruling party and the wealthy of Ireland.

             Swift’s descriptive reference of mothers as breeders, children as bastards, beggars and delectable food was deplorable.  He referred to the poor who were elderly and maimed as encumbrance.  All of his ‘thoughts’ were weird and well thought out as offered through his calculating plans of cannibalism. To think that those that engaged in deep conversation with Swift about his inhuman feelings was mind boggling, and yet he managed to do so.
       
The sarcastic views of Swift could be totally lost on the reader if not identified in paragraph 29 of the text.  He was surely among the wealthy at that time, and was concerned about the lack of sympathy or help provided to those that had fallen on hard times. He wanted more to be done to help the less fortunate; however, were much better means to voice concerns to a country that was facing these problems during that era? There appeared to be an utter disregard for the poor on the part of the elite.

            Swift’s calculations were cold and his offer to kill at minimum a hundred and twenty thousand babies to ultimately feed the rich by being roasted alive and presented on the table for carving should have been shocking to most citizens of that country.  As part of his personal release from his barbaric suggestions, he was conveniently able to exclude himself from the activity by sharing the fact that his daughter was passed the age of slaughter and his wife was passed child-bearing age.  We wonder if the proposal would be acceptable to those that had the audacity to consider such activity if there were no exemptions?