Critical Receptions: Jonathan Swift

Irish criticism of Jonathan Swift’s work during his lifetime contributed to the formation of a uniquely Irish public sphere of letters- a public for whom the literary artist stood as the symbol and representative in the absence of empowered political institutions. This spirit was marked in Kathleen Williams’ collection of eighteenth century criticism of Swift’s work, entitled JONATHAN SWIFT: The Critical Heritage (Routledge, 1970). However, a number of recent critical, historical and biographical studies have expanded enormously our understanding of the growth of Swift’s reputation during his lifetime while developments in critical theory, such as the New Historicism, Postcolonialism, and studies in print culture, have renewed interest in colonial cultures such as eighteenth-century Ireland. Professor Moore has compiled an advance upon the work of Kathleen Williams by expanding the range of materials considered to be critiques and focusing the volume’s attention on contemporary Irish critical responses.