Question

what verbal irony does Swift use in each of the following parts a modest proposal? •the title of the essay • lines 59-60(i shall now....least objection.) lines 135-145(some persons..evils to come)

Answer 1

Jonathan Swift uses verbal irony in the title and several lines of 'A Modest Proposal' to satirize the heartless attitudes towards the poor, by suggesting outrageous solutions in a seemingly rational manner.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Jonathan Swift's satirical essay A Modest Proposal, the use of verbal irony is a key rhetorical strategy that he employs to criticize social policies and attitudes towards the impoverished. The title of the essay itself is one example, where 'modest' is used ironically because the proposal is anything but modest; it is actually a shocking suggestion to sell the children of the poor as food. Another example of verbal irony can be found in lines 59-60, where Swift writes 'I shall now...least objection.' Here, Swift pretends to speak in a logical, measured tone about a method of dealing with poverty that is utterly absurd and morally repugnant, which is feeding poor children to the rich. Lastly, lines 135-145 highlight Swift's use of irony when he anticipates objections to his proposal and responds to them as if they were serious and legitimate concerns, thus further satirizing those who might entertain such inhumane solutions to economic problems without regard for their human cost.

Answer 2

Title of the essay: A MODEST PROPOSAL

LINES 59-60
I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts, which I hope will not be liable to the least objection.

LINES 135-145
Some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about that vast number of poor people, who are aged, diseased, or maimed, and I have been desired to employ my thoughts what course may be taken to ease the nation of so grievous an encumbrance. But I am not in the least pain upon that matter, because it is very well known that they are every day dying and rotting by cold and famine, and filth and vermin, as fast as can be reasonably expected. And as to the young laborers, they are now in as hopeful a condition; they cannot get work, and consequently pine away for want of nourishment, to a degree that if at any time they are accidentally hired to common labor, they have not strength to perform it; and thus the country and themselves are happily delivered from the evils to come.

The title itself is very ironic. There is nothing modest about his proposal. Modest means being humble or unassuming. It also means being simple and small in numbers.

There is nothing modest in his proposal. In fact his proposal is very pretentious.

In lines 59-60, he starts sugar coating his words. He wanted to let people be more welcoming to his proposal by saying that his proposal is humbly offered.

In lines 135-145, he implied that those who are sick, old, and maimed are evil people. They are the dredge of society when in fact, people like him, those pretending to be self-righteous are the monsters. They hide their monstrosity behind genteel and respectable appearances that mostly fool others into believing that they are good people.