Cover of A Modest Proposal

A Modest Proposal

by Jonathan Swift

First published
1729
Reading level
Demanding
Price
Free

About the book

"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift is a satirical essay written and published in 1729. The work shockingly suggests that Ireland's poor could solve their economic troubles by selling their children as food to the wealthy. Through sustained irony and deadpan humor, Swift uses this outrageous premise to mock hostile attitudes toward the poor and expose the dehumanizing policies of British colonial rule. The essay remains celebrated for its dark wit and biting social commentary.

  • Political satire, English
  • Religious satire, English
  • Ireland

Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #1080. A Modest Proposal on Wikipedia.

More free books by Jonathan Swift

About Jonathan Swift