How Is Diction Used In A Modest Proposal

Words: 546
Pages: 3
Open Document
In a time of famine and disparity, Jonathan Swift writes A Modest Proposal, stating that the only way to solve the problems at hand was by eating babies of the poor. Swift, however doesn’t mean this, instead this entire proposal was a flare gun to draw attention to the Irish need for a better solution. In his essay, Swift uses language such as satire, diction and logos to develop his position that Ireland is in desperate need of economic reform. Mainly using satire and diction to grab the reader's attention and logos in addition to stress graveness of the situation.
Swift’s entire revolution revolves around the idea of raising babies to be used as a food source. In the first place, that idea is so wildly abnormal, no humane person would seriously …show more content…
The more one does it and develops tactics for it, the more a bystander watching the scenario will realize that that person is out of ideas and needs help. In the same sense, Swift takes the irrational idea of consuming babies and uses logos to forcefully rationalize it. In lines 33 to 40 he explains his computations along with why his idea could be the breakthrough from Ireland's famine. In addition, he gives “many other advantages” to support his proposal. Like the hopeless yacht occupant, Swift’s ideas have no traction and would solve zero problems. He points to the advantages as an attempt to glorify his last ditch idea. Which in reality he would never plan to carry out. Instead, his glorification of such a pathetic plan is a signal to the readers of the absolute desperation of his situation. All in all, hoping to gain attention and from attention form and actual plan that may solve the problem at hand. Swift goes through the trouble of making such a sick plan to emphasize the fact that he is truly out of ideas. The entire essay is his a way of yelling, Help Me! Truly all he hopes to attain is economic
Show More

Related Documents: How Is Diction Used In A Modest Proposal

A Modest Proposal Essay

In his essay “A Modest Proposal,” Jonathan Swift provides a quick and satiric analysis of the economic problems Ireland in the early 1700s faced and offers a “solution” to the problem: serving the children of the poor to the rich as a delicacy. As his earlier reasonable proposals failed to garner any real attention, Swift attempts to shock his audience in a way that both outlines the true dimensions of the problem as well as forces action to be taken to rectify the poverty, starvation, and inability…

Words 923 - Pages 4

Diction In A Modest Proposal

pamphlets, Jonathan Swift, in his essay “A Modest Proposal” addresses the over population of poor people having children and its effects on Ireland. Swift’s purpose is to induce anger in the readers by making an outrageous proposal to deal with the poor population of Ireland. He creates an ironic tone in order to point out the horrible living conditions in Ireland to the wealthy landowners who are exploiting them. Swift begins his essay by emphasizing the how bad the living conditions are in Ireland…

Words 1564 - Pages 7

Literature and Journalism Essay

He adds that you cannot write different scenes into one, and you are not allowed to merge a number of real characters into one. You must respect the timing of real events. This is in line with the 5ws of journalism of who, what, where, why, when and how. All these must come out distinctly because journalism is fact and not fiction. In fiction, a character or a thing can be an archetype. There can only be one scene of an incident and hence cannot be written into one. He says that finally there is the…

Words 1988 - Pages 8

Critical Thinking, Reading, And Writing

­What is the length of the essay? ­What is the date of the original publication of the essay? ­Is the essay a fully contained work or is it an excerpt from a larger text? ­Are there use quotation marks to “signal” certain words? ­Is italic typed used, and if so what is the purpose? ­Are other books and authors cited in the essay? ­Does the author use organizational tools such as Arabic or Roman numerals? ★ Preparation for reading also means understanding that you bring your own knowledge, opinions…

Words 8037 - Pages 33

Basic Elements Of Language Essay

Roseanne is to singing and Donald Duck to motivational speeches. I am as graceful as a refrigerator falling down a flight of stairs" -Leonard Pitts 8 Term Analogical Comparison Explanation/Definiti on Example Another way to say the author has used an analogy 9 Term Anecdote Explanation/Definiti on A short narrative of an amusing, unusual, revealing, or interesting event. Example Example of an anecdote can be a speaker telling a short tale, about an injury that occurred as a result of not…

Words 3820 - Pages 16