The Poetry Corner
Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift

1667 - 1745Jonathan Swift was an Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet, and Anglican cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, hence his common sobriquet, "Dean Swift". Swift is remembered for works such as A Tale of a Tub (1704), An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity (1712), Gulliver's Travels (1726), and A Modest Proposal (1729). He is regarded by the Encyclopædia Britannica as the foremost prose satirist in the English language, and is less well known for his poetry. He originally published all of his works under pseudonyms—such as Lemuel Gulliver, Isaac Bickerstaff, M. B. Drapier—or anonymously. He was a master of two styles of satire, the Horatian and Juvenalian styles. His deadpan, ironic writing style, particularly in A Modest Proposal, has led to such satire being subsequently termed "Swiftian".Read more on Wikipedia

Poems

A Ballad
A Ballad On The Game Of Traffic
A Ballad To The Tune Of The Cut-Purse
A Beautiful Young Nymph Going To Bed.
A Character, Panegyric, And Description Of The Legion Club
A Conclusion, Drawn From The Epigrams, Epigram On The Busts, And Sent To The Drapier
A Conference, Between Sir Harry Pierce's Chariot, And Mrs. D. Stopford's Chair [1]
A Description Of A City Shower
A Description Of The Morning
A Dialogue Between An Eminent Lawyer[1] And Dr. Jonathan Swift, D.S.P.D. In Allusion To Horace, Book II, Satire I
A Dialogue[1] Between Mad Mullinix And Timothy
A Fable Of The Lion And Other Beasts
A Friendly Apology For A Certain Justice Of Peace By Way Of Defence Of Hartley Hutcheson, Esq. By James Black-Well, Operator For The Feet
A Grub-Street Elegy
A Left-Handed Letter[1]
A Letter To Dr. Helsham
A Libel, On The Reverend Dr. Delany, And His Excellency John, Lord Carteret
A Love Poem From A Physician To His Mistress
A Love Song In The Modern Taste. 1733
A Maypole.
A Motto For Mr. Jason Hasard
A New Song On Wood's Halfpence
A New Year's Gift For Bec [1]
A Panegyric On The Dean
A Pastoral Dialogue
A Pastoral Dialogue.
A Poem On High Church
A Poem; Occasioned By The Hangings In The Castle Of Dublin, In Which The Story Of Phaethon Is Expressed
A Prologue, Billet To A Company Of Players Sent With The Prologue
A Quibbling Elegy On Judge Boat
A Quiet Life And A Good Name
A Rebus. By Vanessa
A Receipt To Restore Stella's Youth. 1724-5
A Reply, By Sheridan, To Delany
A Riddle
A Satirical Elegy; On The Death Of A Late Famous General[1]
A Serious Poem; Upon William Wood, Brazier, Tinker, Hard-Wareman, Coiner, Founder, And Esquire
A Simile; On Our Want Of Silver, And The Only Way To Remedy It.
A Tale Of A Nettle[1]
A Town Eclogue. 1710
A Vindication Of The Libel; Or, A New Ballad, Written By A Shoe-Boy, On An Attorney Who Was Formerly A Shoe-Boy
A Wicked Treasonable Libel[1]
A Young Lady's Complaint For The Stay Of The Dean In England
Advice To The Grub-Street Verse-Writers
An Answer To A Friend's Question
An Answer, By Delany, To Thomas Sheridan
An Apology To Lady Carteret (Verses Written During Lord Carteret's Administration Of Ireland)
An Echo
An Elegy[1] On The Death Of Demar, The Usurer; Who Died On The 6Th Of July, 1720
An Epigram
An Epigram Inscribed To The Honourable Sergeant Kite
An Epistle To His Excellency John, Lord Carteret By Dr. Delany.
An Epistle To Mr. Gay[1]
An Epistle Upon An Epistle
An Excellent New Ballad Or, The True English Dean[1] To Be Hanged For A Rape. 1730
An Excellent New Song, Upon The Declarations Of The Several Corporations Of The City Of Dublin
An Excellent New Song; Being The Intended Speech Of A Famous Orator Against Peace.
An Excellent New Song; Upon His Grace Our Good Lord Archbishop Of Dublin
An Excellent New Song[1] Upon The Late Grand Jury
An Excellent New Song[1]; On A Seditious Pamphlet.
An Invitation, By Dr. Delany, In The Name Of Dr. Swift
Another (Epigram On The Busts)
Another (Epigrams On Windows)
Another Reply, By Sheridan
Another Written Upon A Window Where There Was No Writing Before (Epigrams On Windows)
Another, At Chester (Epigrams On Windows)
Another, At Holyhead [1] (Epigrams On Windows)
Answer To Dr. Delany's Fable Of The Pheasant And Lark.
Answer To Dr. Sheridan's Prologue, And To Dr. Swift's Epilogue. In Behalf Of The Distressed Weavers. By Dr. Delany.
Answer To Lines From May Fair[1]
Answered By Dr. Sheridan (To Lady Carteret)
Answered By Dr. Swift (To Lady Carteret)
Answered Extempore By Dr. Swift
Apollo Outwitted
Apollo To The Dean.[1] 1720
Apollo's Edict Occasioned By "News From Parnassus"
Apollo; Or, A Problem Solved
At An Inn In England (Epigrams On Windows)
Atlas; Or, The Minister Of State[1]
Ay And No; A Tale From Dublin.[1]
Ballad
Baucis And Philemon[1]
Bec's[1] Birth-Day; Nov. 8, 1726
Bettesworth's Exultation
Bouts Rimez[1]
Cadenus And Vanessa[1]
Carberiae Rupes
Carbery Rocks
Carthy Knocked Out Some Teeth From His News-Boy (Epigram Against Carthy)
Cassinus And Peter; A Tragical Elegy
Catullus De Lesbia[1]
Clad All In Brown
Clever Tom Clinch Going To Be Hanged.
Copy Of The Birth-Day Verses
Corinna,[1] A Ballad
Daphne
Dean Smedley's Petition To The Duke Of Grafton[1]
Dean Swift At Sir Arthur Acheson's In The North Of Ireland
Death And Daphne
Dennis Invitation To Steele; Horace, Book I, Ep. V
Desire And Possession 1727
Dick's Variety
Dick, A Maggot
Dingley And Brent[1], A Song
Directions For Making A Birth-Day Song.
Dr. Delany's Villa[1]
Dr. Sheridan To Dr. Swift
Dr. Sheridan Wrote Underneath The Following Lines
Dr. Sheridan's Reply To The Dean
Dr. Swift To Himself On St. Cecilia's Day
Dr. Swift To Mr. Pope, While He Was Writing The "Dunciad"
Dr. Swift Wrote The Following Epigram (Epigram Against Carthy)
Dr. Swift's Answer (Epigram On The Busts)
Drapier'S-Hill.[1]
Epigram
Epigram Added By Stella[1]
Epigram Against Carthy
Epigram By Mr. Bowyer
Epigram By Mr. Bowyer Intended To Be Placed Under The Head Of Gulliver. 1733
Epigram From The French[1]
Epigram On Josiah Hort[1]
Epigram On The Busts[1] In Richmond Hermitage. 1732
Epigram On Wood'S Brass Money
Epigram; In Answer To The Dean's Verses On His Own Deafness [1]
Epigram[1]
Epilogue To A Benefit Play, Given In Behalf Of The Distressed Weavers.
Epilogue[1], To Mr. Hoppy's Benefit-Night, At Smock-Alley
Epitaph
Epitaph In Berkeley Church-Yard, Gloucestershire
Epitaph Inscribed On A Marble Tablet, In Berkeley Church, Gloucestershire
Epitaph On Frederick, Duke Of Schomberg[1]
Epitaph On General Gorges,[1] And Lady Meath[2]
Epitaph On The Same (On The Death Of Demar, The Usurer)
Fabula Canis Et Umbrae
Fontinella[1] To Florinda
Gentle Echo On Woman, A
Helter Skelter; Or, The Hue And Cry After The Attorneys
Horace, Book I, Ode Xiv Paraphrased And Inscribed To Ireland
Horace, Book II, Ode I, Paraphrased; Addressed To Richard Steele, Esq.
Horace, Book III, Ode II; To The Earl Of Oxford, Late Lord Treasurer
Horace, Book IV, Ode IX, Addressed To Archbishop King,[1] 1718
Horace, Book IV, Ode IX; Addressed To Humphry French, Esq.[1] Late Lord Mayor Of Dublin
Horace, Epist. I, VII; Imitation Of Horace To Lord Oxford, A.D. [1]
Imitation Of Part Of The Sixth Satire Of The Second Book Of Horace.[1]
In Sickness
Jack Frenchman's Lamentation[1]
Joan Cudgels Ned
Judas.
Lines Written Extempore On Mr. Harley's Being Stabbed, And Addressed To His Physician, 1710-11 [1]
Lines Written On A Window[1] In The Episcopal Palace At Kilmore
Louisa[1] To Strephon. 1724
Mr. William Crowe's Address To Her Majesty, Turned Into Metre
Mrs. Frances Harris's Petition, 1699
Musa Clonshoghiana
My Lady's[1] Lamentation And Complaint Against The Dean
News From Parnassus By Dr. Delany
Occasioned By Sir William Temple'S Late Illness And Recovery
Ode On Science
Ode To Doctor William Sancroft[1] Late Lord Bishop Of Canterbury
Ode To King William
Ode To The Athenian Society[1]
Ode To The Hon. Sir William Temple
On A Candle
On A Cannon
On A Circle
On A Corkscrew
On A Curate's Complaint Of Hard Duty
On A Horn
On A Pair Of Dice
On A Pen.
On A Printer's[1] Being Sent To Newgate
On A Shadow In A Glass
On A Very Old Glass At Market-Hill
On A Window At An Inn (Epigrams On Windows)
On A Window At The Four Crosses In The Watling-Street Road, Warwickshire (Epigrams On Windows)
On Another Window[1]
On Burning A Dull Poem
On Carthy's Publishing Several Lampoons, Under The Names Of Infamous Poetasters (Epigram Against Carthy)
On Carthy'S Translation Of Longinus (Epigram Against Carthy)
On Censure
On Cutting Down The Thorn At Market-Hill.[1]
On Dr. Rundle, Bishop Of Derry
On Dreams, An Imitation Of Petronius
On Gaulstown House
On Gold
On Ink
On Mr. Pulteney's[1] Being Put Out Of The Council.
On Mrs. Biddy Floyd; Or, The Receipt To Form A Beauty. 1707
On Noisy Tom; Horace, Part Of Book I, Sat. VI, Paraphrased
On One Of The Windows At Delville
On Paddy's Character Of The "Intelligencer."[1] 1729 (Verses Written During Lord Carteret's Administration Of Ireland)
On Poetry; A Rhapsody.
On Psyche[1]
On Reading Dr. Young's Satire, Called The Universal Passion
On Rover, A Lady's Spaniel
On Seeing Verses Written Upon Windows At Inns (Epigrams On Windows)
On Snow
On Stephen Duck The Thresher, And Favourite Poet; A Quibbling Epigram.
On The Archbishop Of Cashel,[1] And Bettesworth
On The Arms Of The Town Of Waterford[1]
On The Church's Danger
On The Collar Of Tiger, Mrs. Dingley's Lap-Dog
On The Death Of Dr. Swift
On The Five Senses
On The Gallows
On The Great Buried Bottle
On The Irish Bishops.[1]
On The Irish Club. [1]
On The Little House By The Churchyard Of Castlenock
On The Moon
On The Posteriors
On The Same (On The Upright Judge, Who Condemned The Drapier's Printer)
On The Same (On The Upright Judge, Who Condemned The Drapier's Printer) The Judge Speaks
On The Union
On The Vowels
On Time
On Wood The Ironmonger.
Oranges
Parody On A Character Of Dean Smedley, Written In Latin By Himself[1]
Parody On The Recorder Of Blessington's Address To Queen Anne
Parody On The Recorder's Speech
Parody On The Speech Of Dr. Benjamin Pratt,[1] Provost Of Trinity College To The Prince Of Wales
Paulus: An Epigram
Peace And Dunkirk
Pethox The Great.
Phyllis; Or, The Progress Of Love, 1716
Poetical Epistle To Dr. Sheridan
Probatur Aliter
Prologue, To A Play For The Benefit Of The Distressed Weavers. By Dr. Sheridan. Spoken By Mr. Elrington. 1721
Prometheus[1]; On Wood The Patentee's Irish Halfpence[2]
Punch's Petition To The Ladies
Robin And Harry.[1]
Sent By Dr. Delany To Dr. Swift, In Order To Be Admitted To Speak To Him When He Was Deaf. 1724
Sid Hamet's Rod
Stella At Wood Park, A House Of Charles Ford, Esq., Near Dublin
Stella To Dr. Swift On His Birth-Day, Nov. 30, 1721
Stella's Birth-Day March 13, 1718-19
Stella's Birth-Day March 13, 1726-7
Stella's Birth-Day. 1724-5
Stella's Birth-Day.[1] 1719-20
Stella's Birth-Day:
Strephon And Chloe
The Answer (Sent By Dr. Delany To Dr. Swift, In Order To Be Admitted To Speak To Him When He Was Deaf. 1724)
The Answer, By Dr. Sheridan
The Answer. By Dr. Swift
The Author Upon Himself
The Beasts' Confession To The Priest, On Observing How Most Men Mistake Their Own Talents. 1732
The Birth Of Manly Virtue
The Country Life
The Day Of Judgment[1]
The Dean And Duke
The Dean Of St. Patrick's
The Dean's Answer (A Rebus by Vanessa)
The Dean's Complaint, Translated And Answered
The Dean's Manner Of Living
The Dean's Reasons For Not Building At Drapier's-Hill
The Description Of A Salamander, 1705
The Description Of An Irish Feast
The Discovery
The Dog And Thief.
The Duke's Answer
The Elephant; Or, The Parliament Man
The Epitaph
The Fable Of Midas.[1]
The Fable Of The Bitches[1]
The Fagot[1]
The Famous Speech-Maker Of England
The Furniture Of A Woman's Mind
The Garden Plot
The Grand Question Debated:
The Gulf Of All Human Possessions
The Hardship Upon The Ladies
The History Of Vanbrugh's House
The Lady's Dressing-Room. 1730
The Logicians Refuted
The Parson's Case
The Pheasant And The Lark; A Fable By Dr. Delany
The Place Of The Damned
The Power Of Time.
The Problem, "That My Lord Berkeley Stinks When He Is In Love"
The Progress Of Beauty. 1719[1]
The Progress Of Marriage[1]
The Progress Of Poetry
The Puppet-Show
The Reverse (To Swift's Verses On Biddy Floyd); Or, Mrs. Cludd
The Revolution At Market-Hill
The Run Upon The Bankers[1]
The South-Sea Project. 1721
The Storm; Minerva's Petition
The Upstart
The Virtues Of Sid Hamet[1] The Magician's Rod. 1710[2]
The Windsor Prophecy[1]
The Yahoo's Overthrow, Or, The Kevan Bayl's New Ballad, Upon Sergeant Kite's Insulting The Dean [1]
Tim And The Fables
To A Friend Who Had Been Much Abused In Many Inveterate Libels
To A Lady Who Desired The Author To Write Some Verses Upon Her In The Heroic Style
To Betty, The Grisette
To Carthy (Epigram Against Carthy)
To Carthy, Attributing Some Performances To Mr. Dunkin (Epigram Against Carthy)
To Charles Mordaunt, Earl Of Peterborough[1]
To Dean Swift
To Dr. Delany, On The Libels Written Against Him.
To Dr. Sheridan.
To His Grace The Archbishop Of Dublin; A Poem
To Janus, On New Year's Day, 1726
To Lady Carteret
To Lord Harley, On His Marriage[1], October 31, 1713
To Love[1]
To Mr. Congreve
To Mr. Delany,[1]
To Mr. Thomas Sheridan
To Mrs. Houghton Of Bourmont, On Praising Her Husband To Dr. Swift
To Stella
To Stella On Her Birth-Day, 1721-2
To Stella Visiting Me In My Sickness
To Stella, Who Collected And Transcribed His Poems
To The Citizens[1]
To The Dean Of St. Patrick's
To The Dean Of St. Patrick'S
To The Dean Of St. Patrick's In Answer To His Left-Handed Letter
To The Reverend Dr. Swift
To The Same. By Dr. Sheridan
To Thomas Sheridan
Toland's Invitation To Dismal[1] To Dine With The Calves Head Club
Tom And Dick[1]
Traulus. Part I
Traulus. Part II
Twelve Articles[1]
Upon Carthy's Threatening To Translate Pindar (Epigram Against Carthy)
Upon The Horrid Plot
Vanbrugh's House,[1] Built From The Ruins Of Whitehall That Was Burnt, 1703
Vanbrugh's House[1] Built From The Ruins Of Whitehall That Was Burnt, 1703
Verses By Stella
Verses Left With A Silver Standish On The Dean Of St. Patrick's Desk, On His Birth-Day. By Dr. Delany
Verses Made For Fruit-Women
Verses Occasioned By The Foregoing Presents (Verses Left With A Silver Standish On The Dean Of St. Patrick's Desk, On His Birth-Day. By Dr. Delany)
Verses Occasioned By Whitshed's [1] Motto On His Coach.
Verses On Blenheim[1]
Verses On I Know Not What
Verses On The Revival Of The Order Of The Bath,[1]
Verses On The Sudden Drying Up Of St. Patrick's Well Near Trinity College, Dublin.
Verses On The Upright Judge, Who Condemned The Drapier's Printer
Verses On Two Celebrated Modern Poets
Verses Sent To The Dean On His Birth-Day, With Pine's Horace, Finely Bound. By Dr. J. Sican[1]
Verses Sent To The Dean With An Eagle Quill, On Hearing Of The Presents By The Earl Of Orrery And Dr. Delany. By Mrs. Pilkington
Verses Written On A Window, At The Deanery House, St. Patrick's
Will Wood's Petition To The People Of Ireland
Wood An Insect.
Written By Dr. Swift On His Own Deafness, In September, 1734
Written In A Lady's Ivory Table-Book, 1698