Final answer:
In "A Modest Proposal," Jonathan Swift uses satire characterized by criticism of society, verbal irony, humor and ridicule, and serious language to address the treatment of the Irish by the English.
Step-by-step explanation:
The characteristics of satire evident in Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" include criticism of society, verbal irony, humor and ridicule, and the use of serious language. Swift's piece targets the merciless attitudes and policies of the English towards the Irish poor, presenting a hyperbolic suggestion to eat Irish children as a solution to poverty and overpopulation, which is an extreme example of verbal irony.
The satire ingeniously utilizes serious language to mask the absurdity of the proposal, thereby ridiculing the cold calculations and harsh realities of eighteenth-century economics and politics.
Its humor stems from the outrageousness of the proposal contrasted with the gravitas of Swift’s language, accentuating the satire without overtly revealing his critical stance. This leaves the reader to reflect on the true nature of the criticism towards societal injustices.