Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) was an Anglo-Irish writer, satirist, and Anglican cleric, recognized as one of the most influential prose satirists in English literature. Educated at Trinity College Dublin, Swift began his career as secretary to Sir William Temple in England before returning to Ireland, where he was ordained and later appointed Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. His major works-including A Tale of a Tub (1704), Gulliver's Travels (1726), and A Modest Proposal (1729)-employ irony and sharp social critique to examine the political, religious, and economic conditions of his time. Swift's relevancy endures because of his incisive commentary on human nature and society.