Frankly Speaking… Exploring Benjamin Franklin’s Aphorisms

Who was Benjamin Franklin, The Man? He was a printer, journalist, author, scientist, diplomat, educator, and philosopher…all with no formal education Born in Boston in 1706; one of seventeen children Left Boston at seventeen years old to open his own print shop After establishing himself as a printer, he began publishing a newspaper and an annual publication called Poor Richard’s Almanack

Who is Benjamin Franklin, The Scientist? When he was forty-two, Franklin retired from printing and became a successful scientist He was responsible for inventing: the lightening rod, bifocal glasses, new type of stove; confirming the laws of electricity; scientific understanding of earthquakes and ocean currents

Who is Benjamin Franklin, The Diplomat? He played an important role in drafting the Declaration of Independence, enlisting French support during the Revolutionary War, negotiating a peace treaty with Britain, and drafting the United States Constitution In later years, he was ambassador first to England and then to France

What is Poor Richard’s Almanack? Franklin created a fictitious author called “Richard Saunders” Contained practical information about the calendar, the sun and moon, and the weather Also, featured homespun sayings and observations…many of which are still quoted today These aphorisms* made the Almanack a bestseller! Franklin put an aphorism at the top or bottom of most pages.

uses rhyme, repetition and What’s an aphorism? A short, concise statement expressing a wise or clever observation or a general truth A variety of devices make aphorisms easy to remember  ryhmes; repeated words or sounds; paralell structure to present contrasting ideas “No Pain, No Gain” uses rhyme, repetition and parallel structure

Aphorisms Today “No pain, No gain” ~Unknown “Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.” ~Unknown “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson “Believe nothing what you hear and only half of what you see” ~Mark Twain “Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it” ~ George Santayana

What aphorisms do you know? Can you think of an example of a contemporary aphorism? What does it say about our culture? You see sayings like the ones on the previous slide on bumper stickers, T-shirts, and billboards.

Aphorism Assignment Choose any aphorism that speaks to you in some way. On the worksheet, explain the aphorism’s literal meaning. Explain the idea the aphorism expresses (what is the real-life message or advice?) Come up with a real world example that connects to the aphorism’s meaning. This can be from personal experience, politics, sports, society, etc. Draw a picture that illustrates the meaning of the aphorism.