Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swiftwas an Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer, poet and cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin...
NationalityIrish
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth30 November 1667
CountryIreland
truth devil shame
Tell truth, and shame the devil.
self-improvement rats rage
Not die here in a rage, like a poisoned rat in a hole.
shining fiction poet
Unjustly poets we asperse: Truth shines the brighter clad in verse, And all the fictions they pursue Do but insinuate what is true.
names giving spades
I'll give you leave to call me anything, if you don't call me spade.
years age three
Say, Britain, could you ever boast, Three poets in an age at most? Our chilling climate hardly bears A sprig of bays in fifty years.
law special care
It is likewise to be observed that this society hath a peculiar chant and jargon of their own, that no other mortal can understand, and wherein all their laws are written, which they take special care to multiply.
cutting razors lost
It is with wits as with razors, which are never so apt to cut those they are employed on as when they have lost their edge.
hail mets wells
Hail fellow, well met.
deeds
You must take the will for the deed.
adversity ease firsts
In all distresses of our friends We first consult our private ends; While Nature, kindly bent to ease us, Points out some circumstance to please us.
satire dunces
When dunces are satiric, I take it for a panegyric.
satire offence
Satire, being levelled at all, is never resented for an offence by any.
rose secrecy ends
Under the rose, since here are none but friends, To own the truth we have some private ends.
reeds danger secrecy
When I am in danger of bursting, I will go and whisper among the reeds.