Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish writer and satirist who became the Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, and hence his common sobriquet, "Dean Swift." His deadpan, ironic writing style, particularly in A Modest Proposal, has led to such satire being subsequently termed "Swiftian." He is best remembered for his satirical book Gulliver's Travels (1726). Following the remarkable success of his works, Swift came to be regarded by many as the greatest satirist of the 18th century, and one of the foremost prose satirists in the history of English literature.
Swift also authored works such as A Tale of a Tub (1704), An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity (1712), and A Modest Proposal (1729). He originally published all of his works under pseudonyms—including Lemuel Gulliver, Isaac Bickerstaff, M. B. Drapier—or anonymously. He was a master of two styles of satire, the Horatian and Juvenalian styles.
