Scholars have speculated about which earlier works Swift may have had in mind when he wrote A Modest Proposal.
skˈɑːlɚz hæv spˈɛkjʊlˌeɪɾᵻd ɐbˌaʊt wˌɪtʃ ˈɜːlɪɚ wˈɜːks swˈɪft mˌeɪhɐv hæd ɪn mˈaɪnd wɛn hiː ɹˈoʊt ɐ mˈɑːdɪst pɹəpˈoʊzəl.