Name:__________________________
Reading Guide: “A Modest Proposal”
1. Stop at the end of line 9. In lines 1-9, what are the generalizations the speaker makes about poor
children? List them here:
2. How do your answers above help set up the proposal to come?
3. Reread lines 25-26, in which the author refers to a new mother as a “dam.” What effect does this
choice of words have?
4. Reread lines 39-48. Why does the speaker use mathematical language when discussing the poor?
5. Reread lines 73-83. Compare the way the way the speaker describes the poor with the way he
describes the rich. Write down details that support your answer.
6. Reread lines 90-92. In what way does this passage reflect the characteristics of Juvenalian satire?
7. Why is the sentence in lines 111-113 an example of understatement?
8. What is ironic about Swift’s concern in lines 133-137 regarding what “some scrupulous people” might
think?
9.Would you describe the speaker’s tone in lines 138-151 as matter-of-fact, appalled, or disapproving?
What effect does this tone have on the subject matter being discussed?
10. How convincing do you find the speaker’s argument in lines 194-204 that his proposal would
improve family life? Explain.
11. Think about an instance of social injustice. How effective would a satire similar to “A Modest
Proposal” be in fighting these injustices? Explain your answer.