Skip to content
Storgy

Prompt 01

Essay task

AP LanguageAP LiteratureIB EnglishAQACommon Core Ela

In A Modest Proposal (1729), Jonathan Swift takes on the voice of a detached, rational economist to suggest that the impoverished children of Ireland ought to be sold as food for the wealthy. In a well-developed essay, discuss how Swift employs irony, tone, and rhetorical strategy to critique British policy and the indifference of the ruling class toward the Irish poor. Your essay should include specific textual evidence and analyze how Swift's satirical approach is more compelling and provocative than a straightforward political argument would have been.

Guiding Questions to Consider

  • How does Swift build the narrator's credibility, and how does that persona enhance the satire?
  • What particular proposals or statistics does Swift include, and what is the impact of presenting them in a calm, rational tone?
  • Who is Swift actually addressing, and how does the difference between the literal and intended meaning generate rhetorical power?

Requirements

  • Minimum 5 paragraphs (introduction, 3 body paragraphs, conclusion)
  • Include at least 3 direct quotations from the text
  • Clearly articulate a thesis that asserts a claim about Swift's satirical technique and its effect.

Prompt 02

Essay task

AP LanguageAP LiteratureIB EnglishCommon Core Ela

In A Modest Proposal (1729), Jonathan Swift takes on the role of a cold, logical economist to suggest that the poor children of Ireland should be sold as food for the wealthy. In a well-organized essay, explain how Swift employs irony, rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, and/or logos), and tone to highlight and critique the apathy of the British ruling class towards the suffering of the Irish poor.

Requirements

  • Craft a clear, defensible thesis that identifies Swift's primary satirical argument and the specific literary techniques he uses to support it.
  • Back up your claim with at least three pieces of textual evidence, analyzing how each one enhances Swift's satirical intent.
  • Discuss how the disparity between the narrator's expressed intentions and the moral implications of the proposal generates meaning for the reader.
  • Conclude by linking Swift's critique to a broader commentary on power, dehumanization, and social responsibility.

Scoring Focus

The strength of the thesis, the quality of textual analysis, the sophistication of the argument, and the command of evidence-based writing.

Suggested length

4–6 paragraphs (approximately 600–900 words)

Prompt 03

Essay task

AP LanguageAP LiteratureIB EnglishAQACommon Core Ela

In A Modest Proposal (1729), Jonathan Swift takes on the role of a rational, well-intentioned economist to suggest that the impoverished children of Ireland should be sold as food for the wealthy. In a structured essay, discuss how Swift employs irony, rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, and/or logos), and satirical exaggeration to criticize the apathy of the British ruling class towards the Irish poor. Your essay should analyze specific textual evidence and clarify how Swift’s satirical approach is more rhetorically effective than a direct argument would have been.

Guiding Questions to Consider

  • How does Swift establish his narrator's credibility (ethos), and how does that construction contribute to the satire?
  • Where does Swift use logos (statistics, economic reasoning) to satirize Enlightenment-era rationalism?
  • What emotional impact does the contrast between the narrator's detached tone and the shocking subject matter create for the reader?
  • What genuine social and political reforms is Swift implicitly advocating for?

Requirements

  • Minimum 4–5 paragraphs (introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion)
  • Include a clear, arguable thesis in the introduction
  • Cite at least three specific passages from the text
  • Address counterarguments or alternative interpretations where appropriate

Storgy generator

Need a different angle?

Generate a fresh set of essay prompts for A Modest Proposal, tuned to a specific curriculum and difficulty level — grounded in Storgy's analysis of the text.

Generate prompts for A Modest ProposalFree
A Modest ProposalJonathan Swift

Powered by Claude. First run free — no signup. One more with a free account.

Teacher tools for

A Modest Proposal

Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions

Socratic, thematic, and close-reading prompts, ready to ask.

Quiz Questions

Quiz Questions

Multiple-choice comprehension checks, ready to hand out.

Work Q&A

Work Q&A

Ask anything about the text and get a grounded answer.

Study guide

Full study guide

Summaries, characters, themes, and key quotes.

Storgy for teachers

Set the essay on A Modest Proposal. Then mark it faster.

Pair these prompts with rubric scaffolds, discussion questions, and quizzes across your whole reading list.

View pricingBrowse all works