Smith 1 Christopher Smith Mr. Porter AP English Literature and Composition 18 March 2013 Exposing Humanity s Precious, Dominating Pride: A Final Satirical Prologue by Swift in Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift, D.S.P.D. Jonathan Swift s Dublin version of Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift, D.S.P.D. provides a clear look into the human psyche. The Verses were originally printed in order to be published after his death but were edited and leaked in London as a courtesy by Swift s friends: Alexander Pope and William King. After this courtesy, Swift quickly published the unedited version so that the poem s purpose and meaning would not be lost on its readers (2347). In the prologue of his poem (lines 1-70), the first half of which is dealt with below, Swift presents a satirical play on the internal motivations of man and allows the reader to see into his mind (or any man s mind). Swift is not continually evil; but, as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he presents a flawed man 1 and his selfish ambition to show that (at the core of man s temporal being) man is prideful, self-serving, and jealous for praise. The poem s title, epigraph, and explanation (lines 1-10) informs the reader of the rhetorical occasion for the poem Swift read a maxim written by the French author François de la Rochefoucauld and wanted to leave a final poem for humanity. Swift wastes no time jumping into the core of his message: man is evil and creation is not at fault for that evil. After setting out this message, he announces that reason and experience will show the truth (line 12). This call to observe the inner motivations of man has the tone of a preacher, or wise man, drawing the reader/listener into a homily that will transform their minds with truth. Swift is masterful in his 1 The Apostle Paul makes a similar statement about his spiritual and moral bankruptcy when he writes in 1 Timothy 1:15 that he is the chief among all sinners. There is no doubt that Jonathan Swift had this, or similar passages, in mind when writing about his own depravity.
2 use of iambic tetrameter which gives the poem a light, airy quality although the content penetrates the soul and humbles. Following the epigraph and introduction, Swift begins his argument by describing a situation where one covets another s position. He writes, We all behold with envious eyes, Our equal raised above our size; Who would not at a crowded show, Stand high himself, keep others low? (lines 13-16) Swift presents a rhetorical question that leaves the reader remembering the last time they were in a crowed place and wanted to see the entertainment. The reader may come to the conclusion that all mankind wants to be in the first position so that they do not have to compete for a view. By Stand[ing] high himself, the logical end pushes all other men low, keep others low (16). One s courtesy does not usually seem inhibited because of a desire to see the festivities, but it does not usually account for the vacuum created by forsaking the lower position someone is forced to fill the lower position: I love my friend as well as you, But would not have him stop my view; Then let me have the higher post; I ask for an inch at most. (lines 17-20) How noble of Swift to ask for only an inch at most (20). The envy of the better position in a crowded space does not stop him at attempting to obtaining a better place than the beloved friend. It continues with a false humility of taking a post of less than an inch (17, 20). How thoughtful of Swift to propose that the advantage is so small; however, no matter the advantage, there is an advantage that is rooted in envy and selfishness. 2 2 The warning in Lines 13-20 resembles the warning in Matthew 19:30. For those who seek the prominent places in society, the first or one s at a higher post, will be last or receive the low post (19, 16).
3 The next stanza presents a war-time situation; Swift asks a rhetorical question that he expects a positive response to in order to reveal mankind s selfish and conceited nature. He writes, If in a battle you should find, One, whom you love of all mankind, Had some heroic action done, A champion killed, or trophy won; Rather than thus be overtopped, Would you not wish his laurels cropped? (lines 21-26) Swift does not give a simple situation, but (like a man desperate to prove a point) gives a most unlikely situation as an example to prove his thesis. Not only is the reader asked to place themselves in battle, but they are to be in battle with their most precious friend (21-22). To escalate the predicament, the precious friend performs a feat deserving of high praise (23-24). In an effort to match the couplets of the tetrameter, Swift combines two words in overtopped to express the higher achievement of the friend (25). The only two options offered are letting the beloved friend have his due glory or wish that he did not have the glory ( laurels cropped ) so that others may see one s own accomplishments in a more heroic light (26). Swift is pointing out man s selfishness, even to the point of wishing the glory of another be less in order for one s glory to be more noticeable. 3 Comparison with another is unwise and destructive to relationships; when ill will and unhealthy comparisons are drawn, the love of all mankind will never be a beloved friend (22). The next three quatrains contain a description of man s pride, selfishness, and covetousness. Swift continues to prove that man harbors ill feelings toward people who are 3 The Apostle Paul remarkes with a similar precept. In Romans 12:14-16, Christ followers are called to [R]ejoice with them that do rejoice and to [B]e not wise in your own conceits. A humble and goodhearted nature is required in all situations. To be sure, Swift is not encouraging men to have the laurels cropped of heroic men, but to do the opposite and to get over one s own ambition to serve one another by supporting their glory and accomplishments (26).
4 beloved and truthful (37), rival poets (31), and friends worthy of imitation (35). There is no doubt that Swift knew each of these situations personally and is writing with the situation in mind. Swift must have been speaking of a time in his pastoral ministry when he heard the moans of a parishioner while making a house call. He writes in the first quatrain, Dear honest Ned is in the gout, Lies racked with pain, and you without; How patiently you hear him grown! How glad the case is not your own! (lines 27-30) On the exterior, a man would never admit to being glad that another man was inflicted with a disease instead of him. However, internally, a man hearing the suffering of another would be lying if not relieved that the disease was not [his] own (30). The second quatrain yields a situation that one would not find hard to imagine Swift being in because of his relationships with other writers. Swift proposes to send the others to Hell if they rival his work. He writes, What poet would not grieve to see, His brethren write as well as he? But rather than they should excel, He d wish his rivals all in Hell. (lines 31-34) Again, Swift uses the rhetorical question to assume that the reader will agree with his assessment that a poet is grieved when another poet writes better verse. He is not leaving any room for spirited, respectful competition, but supposes that all men would wish their competition to Hell before wishing that they should excel (34, 33). The desire to be the best pushes and motivates man to become greater than they could ever think possible, but the root of that passion is one of pride that does not want to be overlooked for another.
5 In the third quatrain, Swift establishes that pride will devastate even the strongest friendship (37). He writes, Her end when emulation misses, She turns to envy, stings, and hisses: The strongest friendship yields to pride, Unless the odds be on our side. (lines 35-38) How curious it is in this quatrain that Smith uses feminine pronouns. Is Swift referring to a personal female relationship or a relationship problem that he observed in his daily ministry? Swift must have heard the cases of many women in the church that were bitter and full of envy, stings, and hisses (36). He must have also envied rival authors works as well as had authors envy his works. Swift preaches that there is no hope for a relationship when one is jealous of the other, even in the best situation. Line 38 switches to a 1 st person, plural pronoun, our, which leaves the reader wondering about the identity of the her (35) and the she (36). Apparently, Swift had a connection with the female pronoun, but there is no mention of her name or the relationshi. The juxtaposition of the two ideas, Vain humankind! Fantastic race! exemplifies the hidden motivations and the outward show that humankind is trapped in (line 39). How can a race be fantastic when it is vain and appeals to all of the vices listed above? The two ideas do not match and Swift continues to prove that mantra in the rest of the prologue (lines 40-70). The prologue continues another 30 lines in which Swift keeps the same tone and attacks the same issues of pride, selfishness, and jealousy. This final satirical prologue teaches his parishioners and readers, one more time, of the dangers and the folly of pride. Yet, he does not preach his sermon without exposing his own thoughts, prejudices, selfish desires, and prideful temptations. Swift accomplished his goal and leaves his posterior with a set of verses to chew on for years to come.
6 Works Cited Swift, Jonathan. "Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift." Eds. David Damrosch and Stuart Sherman. The Longman Anthology of British Literature. New York: Longman, 1999. 2374-386. Print. King James Bible. Nashville: Holman Bible, 1973. Print.