Jonathan Swift and his Satire
I'm puzzled about something which may make no sense, but I have read the following 'elegy', and found myself laughing. I wonder why. Is it because I am far removed in time from the event that I can laugh, or does this show that I have a sick sense of humour?
A Satirical Elegy on the Death of a Late Famous General
His Grace! impossible! what dead!
Of old age too, and in his bed!
And could that mighty warrior fall?
And so inglorious, after all!
Well, since he's gone, no matter how,
The last loud trump must wake him now:
And, trust me, as the noise grows stronger,
He'd wish to sleep a little longer.
And could he be indeed so old
As by the newspapers we're told?
Threescore, I think, is pretty high;
'Twas time in conscience he should die.
This world he cumbered long enough;
He burnt his candle to the snuff;
And that's the reason, some folks think,
He left behind so great a s---k.
Behold his funeral appears,
Nor widow's sighs, no orphan's tears,
Wont at such times each heart to pierce,
Attend the progress of his hearse.
But what of that, his friends may say,
He had those honors in his day.
True to his profit and his pride,
He made them weep before he died.
Come hither, all ye empty things,
Ye bubbles raised by breath of kings;
Who float upon the tide of state,
Come hither, and behold your fate.
Let pride be taught by this rebuke,
How very mean a thing's a Duke;
From all his ill-got honors flung,
Turned to that dirt from whence he sprung.
Jonathan Swift 1722,1764
The famous "General" was the Duke of Marlborough, who died on June 16, 1722, at the age of 72.
In the 3rd from last line, the word "mean" has a range of meanings, including "poor, inferior, ignoble, destitute of moral dignity, undistinguished"
A Satirical Elegy on the Death of a Late Famous General
His Grace! impossible! what dead!
Of old age too, and in his bed!
And could that mighty warrior fall?
And so inglorious, after all!
Well, since he's gone, no matter how,
The last loud trump must wake him now:
And, trust me, as the noise grows stronger,
He'd wish to sleep a little longer.
And could he be indeed so old
As by the newspapers we're told?
Threescore, I think, is pretty high;
'Twas time in conscience he should die.
This world he cumbered long enough;
He burnt his candle to the snuff;
And that's the reason, some folks think,
He left behind so great a s---k.
Behold his funeral appears,
Nor widow's sighs, no orphan's tears,
Wont at such times each heart to pierce,
Attend the progress of his hearse.
But what of that, his friends may say,
He had those honors in his day.
True to his profit and his pride,
He made them weep before he died.
Come hither, all ye empty things,
Ye bubbles raised by breath of kings;
Who float upon the tide of state,
Come hither, and behold your fate.
Let pride be taught by this rebuke,
How very mean a thing's a Duke;
From all his ill-got honors flung,
Turned to that dirt from whence he sprung.
Jonathan Swift 1722,1764
The famous "General" was the Duke of Marlborough, who died on June 16, 1722, at the age of 72.
In the 3rd from last line, the word "mean" has a range of meanings, including "poor, inferior, ignoble, destitute of moral dignity, undistinguished"
posted by maggiesong at 7:53 PM
1 Comments:
Hi Mr Mokund: Thanks for your comment on this poem I posted. I appreciate it.
I thought about what you wrote. If Swift was writing a "satirical elegy" (as per the title), then yes, he would be taking a humourous approach wouldn't he, rather than the usual elegy that would lament a person's death.
I wasn't thinking, however, that Swift could have been exposing the whole idea of the writers of these laments - holding the idea of them up for people to really look at. Satire exposes the failings of individuals and institutions and society to ridicule and scorn.
I thought Swift was satirizing the fact that people's attitude about Marlborough's death was that he lived long and "Twas time in conscience he should die" (he did the right thing by dying), but died in such an odd way for a General - by dying in his bed of all places.
The trappings surrounding a royal type of funeral would need to include an elegy being written for the occasion. But yes, perhaps Swift was not only showing the idle comments that people make when a well known person dies, but also satirizing this practise of a poet sitting down and writing an elegy of lament that may have been used for "display" purposes at a funeral service.
Thank you for this.
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