[New-Poetry] Ben Franklin, poet

[David Graham]

On Apr 1, 2009, at 9:36 PM, Rsgwynn1 at cs.com wrote:
> Franklin also wrote verse;
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"I now took a Fancy to poetry, and made some little Pieces.  My  
Brother, thinking it might turn to account encourag’d me, and put me  
on composing two occasional Ballads. . . .  They were wretched Stuff,  
in the Grubstreet Ballad Stile, and when they were printed he sent me  
about the Town to sell them.  The first sold wonderfully, the Event  
being recent, having made a great Noise. This flatter’d my Vanity.   
But my Father discourag’d me, by ridiculing my Performances, and  
telling me Verse-makers were generally Beggars; so I escap’d being a  
Poet, most probably a very bad one."

  --Benjamin Franklin, from the Autobiography




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David Graham
grahamd at ripon.edu

Home Page:
http://web.mac.com/drjazz

Poetry Library:
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