An Ode To Benjamin Franklin

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Benjamin Franklin - 1706 - 1790 A statesman and scientist, he was also quite a philosopher. He was considered to be one of the most important figures of his day being given the dubious honor of being asked to sign The Declaration Of Independence along with many other great men of that era; making him one of our Founding Fathers. In doing so he showed great courage because all who signed had a price placed on their heads by the Crown of England for treason. He spent his life in search of knowledge continuously trying to improve himself. He had the ability to see and recognize his own faults and tried to do something about them. That is something not many people can do. A person could do a whole lot worse than to try to imitate his style.

Ben Franklin was generally healthy throughout his life but did have respiratory problems, gout and bladder stones especially as he got older. He died at the age of 84yrs. on April 17,1790 . From Empysema which was brought on by attacks of pleurisy which he suffered from earlier in his life.

I wished to improve on my character so, I looked for a model to go by. I studied the habits of men great and tall, For one who seemed perfect in my eyes. Men of fine profile and manly physique, Were the first ones to cross my inspection. First also dismissed for their physical charms, Seemed all they had worth admiration; And those who had money and power were wont, To flaunt their importance and style. An hour or two in this comp'ny could last, A person a long, long while; And so I explored yet another route, The highway to high education. Perhaps here I would find the virtuous man. One worthy of my adulation. I read through the tomes of scholars and scribes, Philosophers, poets and statesmen, And I never found a doctrine more sound, Than the one left behind by Ben Franklin.

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