Skip to main content
20 years
Narrative
x
  • FICTION
  • POETRY
  • NONFICTION
  • LIBRARY
    • by Author
    • by Theme
    • by Title, Form, Author
    • Narrative Prize Winners
    • Story Lists
    • Contests
  • LEARN
    • Narrative for Schools
    • High School Writing Contest
    • Writing Prompts
    • Video Tutorials
    • Writers & Mentors Videos
    • Advice for Writers
    • Writers’ Resources
    • Recommended Reading
    • Theme-Based Reading Guide
    • Explore Our Library by Theme
    • A Note to Teachers
    • A Note to Students
    • About Narrative for Schools
  • BACKSTAGE
  • STORE
  • SUBMIT
  • ABOUT
    • Mission
    • Masthead
    • Board of Directors
    • Friends & Patrons
    • Events
    • Recent Awards for Our Authors
    • Narrative in the News
    • FAQ
    • Advertise in Narrative
  • DONATE
  • SIGN IN
manage_search Narrative
TELL ME A STORY
person
SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE
search
  • FICTION
  • POETRY
  • NONFICTION
  • LIBRARY
    • BY AUTHOR
    • BY THEME
    • BY TITLE, FORM, AUTHOR
    • NARRATIVE PRIZE WINNERS
    • STORY LISTS
    • CONTESTS
  • LEARN
    • NARRATIVE FOR SCHOOLS
    • HIGH SCHOOL CONTEST
    • WRITING PROMPTS
    • VIDEO TUTORIALS
    • WRITERS & MENTORS VIDEOS
    • ADVICE FOR WRITERS
    • WRITERS’ RESOURCES
    • RECOMMENDED READING
    • THEME-BASED READING GUIDE
    • EXPLORE BY THEME
    • A NOTE TO TEACHERS
    • A NOTE TO STUDENTS
    • ABOUT SCHOOLS
  • BACKSTAGE
  • STORE
  • SUBMIT YOUR WORK
  • ABOUT
    • MASTHEAD
    • MISSION
    • BOARD OF DIRECTORS
    • FRIENDS & PATRONS
    • EVENTS
    • NARRATIVE IN THE NEWS
    • FAQ
    • ADVERTISE IN NARRATIVE
  • DONATE
  • ADVERTISING
Narrative is a nonprofit
supported by readers
who love great writing.
Read us.
Support us.
SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE
Sign In
  • MY ACCOUNT
  • CONTACT US
  • ADVERTISE
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
Narrative is a nonprofit
supported by readers
who love great writing.
Read us.
Support us.

Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) was an author and a clergyman best remembered for his great sophisticated satire of human nature, Gulliver’s Travels. Playful, funny, and critical of his targets, Swift was prolific. His prose takes up fourteen volumes; his correspondence, three volumes; and his poetry, a one-thousand-page volume. Shorter works include A Tale of a Tub and A Modest Proposal. He is buried in Dublin with an epitaph of his own composition, indicating that he lies “where savage indignation can no longer tear his heart.”

QUICK TAGS
Growing Old
Life Choices

FOLLOW US:

When I Come to Be Old

Resolutions

by Jonathan Swift
Share
Facebook Facebook Threads Threads Twitter Twitter Reddit Reddit Forward Forward Print Print Copy link Copy link

Not to marry a young Woman.
Not to keep young Company unless they reely desire it.
Not to be peevish or morose, or suspicious.
Not to scorn present Ways, or Wits, or Fashions, or Men, or
    War, &c.
Not to be fond of Children, or let them come near me hardly.
Not to tell the same story over and over to the same People.
Not to be covetous.

People on couch
To continue reading please sign in.
Join for free
Already a reader? Sign In

Story Right Column Menu

  • NARRATIVE FOR SCHOOLS
  • SEARCH THE LIBRARY
  • SEARCH BY THEME
  • WRITERS’ RESOURCES
  • SUBMIT YOUR WORK
  • SUPPORT NARRATIVE

Hello. Log In.

Reader Comments

There are not yet any comments on this story. Would you like to leave one?

  • CONTACT US
  • ADVERTISE
  • MY ACCOUNT
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
  • A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
Narrative is a nonprofit
supported by readers
who love great writing.
Read us.
Support us.