Cover of Cadenus And Vanessa by Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift

Cadenus And Vanessa

First published 1713 · Public Domain36 pagesKessinger Publishing

Read Free or Buy

As an affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Disclosure

About This Book

Cadenus and Vanessa is a celebrated autobiographical poem by Jonathan Swift, written in 1713 and published posthumously in 1726. The title contains elaborate wordplay: 'Cadenus' is an anagram of the Latin 'decanus' (dean), referring to Swift's position as Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, while 'Vanessa' — a name Swift invented from Vanhomrigh and Esther — would become one of the most popular women's names in the English language. Cast in mock-classical form, the poem narrates Venus's creation of the ideal woman who falls for her older tutor rather than fashionable young men. It serves as Swift's elaborate apology for his complex relationship with Esther Vanhomrigh, offering a fascinating window into the private life of one of English literature's most enigmatic figures.

About the Author

1667 – 1745

Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) was an Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist, and Anglican cleric whose scathing prose made him one of the most formidable writers in the English language. Born in Dublin to English parents, he was educated at Trinity College and later ordained in the Church of Ireland. His early masterpiece A Tale of a Tub (1704) established his reputation for savage irony, while the political pamphlets he wrote on behalf of both Whigs and Tories gave him enormous influence. Gulliver's Travels (1726), published anonymously, became an instant classic — outwardly a fantastic voyage narrative, inwardly a corrosive indictment of human pride and institutional folly. Appointed Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, Swift championed Irish causes, most memorably in A Modest Proposal (1729). His later years were shadowed by illness, but his literary legacy as the supreme satirist of his age endures.

Publication Details

First Published1713
PublisherKessinger Publishing
Pages36
ISBN9781162656694
LanguageEn
CopyrightPublic Domain
Open LibraryView editions