The Poems of Jonathan Swift, Volume One

Jonathan Swift (1667 - 1745)

Sit back and listen to these light-hearted witty rhymes and see the world Jonathan Swift saw -- and maybe recognize your own. Think there is such a thing as corrupt rich guys who pretend they're God's gift to the world? So did Swift. Think some of these types strut around as if calls of nature don't apply to them? So did Swift. In one hilarious poem, he even describes gold diggers fighting over the loaded gentleman's gaseous offerings! His poem On Poetry, A Rhapsody, censored for treasonous mocking of the royal family, is in its rare uncensored form here. As free as he himself is with his sharp tongue against the blackened rich and corrupt , he knows others might have to kiss up to eat. So he includes many verses of advice on how to go about lying for a living, for example, "Your interest lies to learn the knack Of whitening what before was black." Despite the decay and hypocrisy he sees all around him he stays upbeat throughout -- even making fun out of his own tragic onset of deafness. You already know this giant of English literature for the great feast of prose he left us. Think of these delicious poems here as your sinful dessert. - Summary by Arthur Krolman

Genre(s): Single author

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 01 Ode to Doctor William Sancroft Arthur Krolman
00:16:02
Play 02 Ode to Sir William Temple Arthur Krolman
00:11:24
Play 03 Ode to King William Arthur Krolman
00:03:12
Play 04 Ode to the Athenian Society Arthur Krolman
00:17:43
Play 05 To Mr. Congreve Arthur Krolman
00:14:00
Play 06 Occasioned by Sir William Temple etc. Arthur Krolman
00:10:16
Play 07 Written in a Lady's Ivory Table Book Arthur Krolman
00:01:52
Play 08 Mrs. Frances Harris's Petition Arthur Krolman
00:06:45
Play 09 A Ballad on the Game of Traffic Arthur Krolman
00:01:27
Play 10 A Ballad to the tune of Cutpurse Arthur Krolman
00:01:48
Play 11 The Discovery Arthur Krolman
00:02:23
Play 12 The Problem Arthur Krolman
00:03:41
Play 13 The Description of a Salamander Arthur Krolman
00:03:40
Play 14 To Charles Mordaunt, Earl of Peterborough Arthur Krolman
00:01:56
Play 15 On the Union Arthur Krolman
00:01:16
Play 16 On Mrs. Biddy Floyd Arthur Krolman
00:01:03
Play 17 The Reverse Arthur Krolman
00:02:16
Play 18 Apollo Outwitted Arthur Krolman
00:03:16
Play 19 Answer to Lines from May Fair Arthur Krolman
00:01:10
Play 20 Vanbrugh's House ver.1 Arthur Krolman
00:04:26
Play 21 Vanbrugh's House ver.2 Arthur Krolman
00:06:16
Play 22 Baucis and Philemon ver.1 Arthur Krolman
00:10:45
Play 23 Baucis and Philemon ver.2 Arthur Krolman
00:08:28
Play 24 The History of Vanbrugh's House Arthur Krolman
00:02:27
Play 25 A Grub Street Elegy Arthur Krolman
00:04:27
Play 26 The Epitaph Arthur Krolman
00:01:01
Play 27 A Description of the Morning Arthur Krolman
00:01:21
Play 28 A Description of a City Shower Arthur Krolman
00:04:20
Play 29 On the Little House Arthur Krolman
00:03:10
Play 30 A Town Eclogue Arthur Krolman
00:05:07
Play 31 A Conference Arthur Krolman
00:03:45
Play 32 To Lord Harley on his Marriage Arthur Krolman
00:03:55
Play 33 Phyllis Arthur Krolman
00:04:48
Play 34 Horace, Book IV, Ode ix Arthur Krolman
00:01:31
Play 35 To Mr. Delany Arthur Krolman
00:05:19
Play 36 An Elegy Arthur Krolman
00:03:47
Play 37 To Mrs. Houghton and Window Verses Arthur Krolman
00:02:07
Play 38 Apollo to the Dean Arthur Krolman
00:05:58
Play 39 News from Parnassus Arthur Krolman
00:04:24
Play 40 Apollo's Edict Arthur Krolman
00:03:33
Play 41 The Description of an Irish Feast Arthur Krolman
00:03:00
Play 42 The Progress of Beauty Arthur Krolman
00:06:04
Play 43 The Progress of Marriage Arthur Krolman
00:07:43
Play 44 The Progress of Poetry Arthur Krolman
00:02:25
Play 45 The South Sea Project Arthur Krolman
00:11:03
Play 46 A Prologue on Stroller Licensing Arthur Krolman
00:03:38
Play 47 Epilogue to Mr. Hoppy Arthur Krolman
00:03:35
Play 48 Prologue for the Weavers Arthur Krolman
00:02:43
Play 49 Epilogue for the Weavers Arthur Krolman
00:03:15
Play 50 Answer to Prologue and Epilogue Arthur Krolman
00:03:34
Play 51 On Gaulstown House Arthur Krolman
00:01:28
Play 52 The Country Life Arthur Krolman
00:06:21
Play 53 Dr. Delany's Villa and Delville Window Arthur Krolman
00:03:06
Play 54 Carbery Rocks Arthur Krolman
00:03:21
Play 55 Copy of the Birthday Verses on Mr. Ford Arthur Krolman
00:05:07
Play 56 On Dreams Arthur Krolman
00:02:40
Play 57 Dr. Delany to Dr. Swift and The Answer Arthur Krolman
00:04:02
Play 58 A Quiet Life and a Good Name and Advice Arthur Krolman
00:04:01
Play 59 A Pastoral Dialogue Arthur Krolman
00:05:09
Play 60 Desire and Possession Arthur Krolman
00:02:45
Play 61 On Censure Arthur Krolman
00:01:35
Play 62 The Furniture of a Woman's Mind Arthur Krolman
00:02:41
Play 63 Clever Tom Clinch Arthur Krolman
00:01:31
Play 64 Dr. Swift to Mr. Pope Arthur Krolman
00:01:23
Play 65 A Love Poem Arthur Krolman
00:02:02
Play 66 Bouts Rimez Arthur Krolman
00:01:52
Play 67 Helter Skelter Arthur Krolman
00:02:09
Play 68 The Puppet Show Arthur Krolman
00:03:32
Play 69 The Journal of a Modern Lady Arthur Krolman
00:11:16
Play 70 The Logicians Refuted Arthur Krolman
00:02:40
Play 71 The Elephant; or the Parliament Man Arthur Krolman
00:01:45
Play 72 Paulus Epigram and The Answer Arthur Krolman
00:06:42
Play 73 A Dialogue Arthur Krolman
00:02:40
Play 74 On Burning a Dull Poem Arthur Krolman
00:01:00
Play 75 An Excellent New Ballad Arthur Krolman
00:04:07
Play 76 On Stephen Duck Arthur Krolman
00:00:53
Play 77 The Lady's Dressing Room Arthur Krolman
00:05:41
Play 78 The Power of Time Arthur Krolman
00:00:42
Play 79 Cassinus and Peter Arthur Krolman
00:05:29
Play 80 A Beautiful Young Nymph Arthur Krolman
00:04:11
Play 81 Strephon and Chloe Arthur Krolman
00:14:02
Play 82 Apollo; or A Problem Solved Arthur Krolman
00:01:41
Play 83 The Place of the Damned Arthur Krolman
00:01:15
Play 84 The Day of Judgment Arthur Krolman
00:01:22
Play 85 Judas Arthur Krolman
00:01:41
Play 86 An Epistle to Mr. Gay Arthur Krolman
00:10:14
Play 87 To a Lady Arthur Krolman
00:10:37
Play 88 Epigrams on Busts in Richmond Hermitage Arthur Krolman
00:01:36
Play 89 Swift's Birthday Presents Arthur Krolman
00:04:41
Play 90 An Invitation, by Dr. Delany Arthur Krolman
00:01:04
Play 91 The Beasts' Confession Arthur Krolman
00:08:37
Play 92 The Parson's Case Arthur Krolman
00:01:51
Play 93 The Hardship upon the Ladies Arthur Krolman
00:00:45
Play 94 A Love Song Arthur Krolman
00:01:50
Play 95 The Storm Arthur Krolman
00:03:40
Play 96 Ode on Science Arthur Krolman
00:02:15
Play 97 A Young Lady's Complaint Arthur Krolman
00:02:04
Play 98 On the Death of Dr. Swift Arthur Krolman
00:21:53
Play 99 On Poetry, a Rhapsody Arthur Krolman
00:21:36
Play 100 Verses sent to the Dean on his Birthday Arthur Krolman
00:02:59
Play 101 Epigram by Mr. Bowyer Arthur Krolman
00:00:41
Play 102 On Psyche Arthur Krolman
00:01:05
Play 103 The Dean and Duke Arthur Krolman
00:01:26
Play 104 Swift on his own Deafness Arthur Krolman
00:01:31
Play 105 The Dean's Manner of Living Arthur Krolman
00:00:47
Play 106 Verses for Fruit Women Arthur Krolman
00:02:40
Play 107 On Rover, a Lady's Spaniel Arthur Krolman
00:02:36
Play 108 Epigrams on Windows Arthur Krolman
00:04:44
Play 109 To Janus, on New Year's Day Arthur Krolman
00:01:34
Play 110 Miscellaneous Arthur Krolman
00:10:03
Play 111 An Apology to Lady Carteret Arthur Krolman
00:07:15
Play 112 The Birth of Manly Virtue Arthur Krolman
00:06:24
Play 113 On Paddy's Character Arthur Krolman
00:01:46
Play 114 An Epistle to Lord Cartaret by Delany Arthur Krolman
00:05:36
Play 115 An Epistle upon an Epistle Arthur Krolman
00:05:40
Play 116 A Libel on Dr. Delany and Lord Carteret Arthur Krolman
00:08:27
Play 117 To Dr. Delany on the Libels Arthur Krolman
00:07:17
Play 118 Directions for a Birthday Song Arthur Krolman
00:11:08
Play 119 The Pheasant and the Lark Arthur Krolman
00:10:58
Play 120 Dean Smedley's Petition to the Duke Arthur Krolman
00:06:53
Play 121 Parody on a Character of Dean Smedley Arthur Krolman
00:02:21