The Tools Of A Satirist

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Practice identifying the tools of the satirist with examples from Swift's "A Modest Proposal." For each question select the most appropriate tool for the quote given.

Questions and Answers

1.

The title of the essay: "A Modest Proposal"
- A.
  
  Exaggeration
- B.
  
  Understatement
- C.
  
  Verbal irony
- D.
  
  Parody
Correct Answer
B. Understatement

Explanation
It's a pretty radical solution that he proposes! "Modest" is a much less forceful word than is appropriate.

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2.

"...who [the helpless infants] as they grow up either turn thieves for want of work, or leave their dear country to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbadoes."
- A.
  
  Exaggeration
- B.
  
  Understatement
- C.
  
  Verbal irony
- D.
  
  Parody
Correct Answer
A. Exaggeration

Explanation
Not ALL of the poor children will grow up bad.

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3.

"...as a little bordering upon cruelty, which, I confess, hath always been with me the strongest objection against any project, however so well intended."
- A.
  
  Exaggeration
- B.
  
  Understatement
- C.
  
  Verbal irony
- D.
  
  Parody
Correct Answer
B. Understatement

Explanation
A "little" cruel?!

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4.

"...thus the country and themselves are happily delivered from the evils to come."
- A.
  
  Exaggeration
- B.
  
  Understatement
- C.
  
  Verbal irony
- D.
  
  Parody
Correct Answer
C. Verbal irony

Explanation
Not many people would be "happy" with this solution, most probably just the opposite!

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5.

"I have always found them grossly mistaken in this computation."
- A.
  
  Exaggeration
- B.
  
  Understatement
- C.
  
  Verbal irony
- D.
  
  Parody
Correct Answer
D. Parody

Explanation
"Computation" is a word that he uses to create the persona of a statistician. He really doesn't want the reader to deal with this sensitive issue in a cold objective way; he wants us to care enough to fix it!

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Current Version
Mar 22, 2022

Quiz Edited by
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Mar 17, 2011

Quiz Created by
Jclarkevans

The Tools Of A Satirist

The title of the essay: "A Modest Proposal"

"...who [the helpless infants] as they grow up either turn thieves for want of work, or leave their dear country to fight for the Pretender in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbadoes."

"...as a little bordering upon cruelty, which, I confess, hath always been with me the strongest objection against any project, however so well intended."

"...thus the country and themselves are happily delivered from the evils to come."

"I have always found them grossly mistaken in this computation."