Other Kinds of Prose

One of the most flexible and adaptable of all literary forms, the prose essay also lent itself to lengthier considerations of more weighty matters in the fields of philosophy, science, history and aesthetics. Bacon, Milton and Dryden had already explored the potential of the essay form prior to the 18th century, and its popularity was to last well into the 1700s.One of the finest essay writers of the period was Edmund Burke (1729-1797), whose influential philosophical essay on aesthetics was published in 1757. The development of biography was also a significant aspect of prose writing in the 18th century. Although Renaissance biographers had checked the earlier tendencies of biographers to glorify the lives of saints and secular rulers, biography only really came of age in the 1700s: Samuel Johnson’s Life of Mr Richard Savage (1744) is widely considered to be the fist comprehensive account of a very unsuccessful man, and his Lives of the English Poets (1779-81) is now recognized as a classic. The 18th century also includes some important contributions in the fields of travel literature and history.Many great writers chose to record their impressions of journeys in book form: Henry Fielding recorded his journey to Lisbon in The Journal of a Voyage to Lisbon. Among the greatest history works in prose was History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, published by Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) in no fewer than six volumes between 1776 and 1788.

The Novelists Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)

Jonathan Swift is generally thought to be the greatest prose writer of the eighteenth century and one of the world’s finest satirists. He was a writer whom many considered a misanthrope (one who hates humankind) because his writings were deeply critical of humanity. It was, however, his deep love for humanity that caused him to criticize it, and his dream was to cure the ills of his age through humor. Swift was born in Dublin, Ireland, of English parents. He had a difficult childhood. Before Swift was born, his father died, leaving the family so poor that his mother was forced to send her infant son to live with an uncle. Swift showed signs of brilliance early on—he could read when he was only three. At the age of six, he was sent to Kilkenny School, which was then the best school in Ireland. However, depression kept Swift from doing well in school, and later he barely graduated from Dublin’s Trinity College.

Early Writing

Swift’s education as a writer began at the age of twenty-two, when Sir William Temple, a retired diplomat living near London, hired him to be his secretary. Temple was also a noted author, and Swift learned a great deal about writing from him and benefited from exposure to his rich library.Temple helped Swift obtain an M.A. degree from the University of Oxford. Through Temple, Swift also gained the notice of King William III, who suggested that he pursue a career in the Church of England. Swift became an Anglican priest and, while in his late twenties, served in Ireland. However, Swift was unhappy with his post and returned to Temple’s employment. It was in Temple’s house that Swift first composed awkward odes in the classical style of the ancient Greek poet Pindar. Then, realizing that he had a gift for humorous prose, he composed two of his acclaimed satires: A Tale of a Tub, which ridiculed the extravagances of religion, literature, and academia; and The Battle of the Books, which presented a mock debate between ancient and modern authors.After Temple’s death in 1699, Swift returned to Ireland to serve as pastor in a small Protestant parish.His works had caught the eye of other authors, and he was invited to write essays for The Tattler, the popular English periodical. These essays and a series of political pamphlets enhanced his fame and showed that he was well informed about current events in both Ireland and England.