"Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky" by Benjamin WestLegends of Liberty, Volume 2: ‘Lightning Ben’ by Andrew Benson Brown The Society December 1, 2022 Culture, Epic, Humor, Poetry 31 Comments . Lightning Ben an excerpt from Legends of Liberty, Volume 2 Sing, muse! Bestow your gifts on—blah blah blah. I opened my first book with that. You get The point. Obliging poets need to draw The paths of cosmic fate, to show their debt To Heaven and their forebears. Really, though, In almost all the epics ever written, Their authors lead off with some silly throw -back to antiquity, with which they’re smitten. I promise—no Virgilian intros… Only Homeric ones: Achillean! Impose. ~ Ben Franklin’s scientific senses swelled When lightning struck his kite and killed him dead. Onlookers swear his final breath expelled A soul that lingered, flit about, and fled To Hell. This fool had played with heaven’s fire And quite deserved the fate he had received. A person who’d conduct a test so dire With hopes to not get burned was much deceived. Some children ran up and began to poke The crispy corpse, when lo!—Immortal Ben awoke. He sat up, shook his head, and looked about. His hair stood wild on end, his clothes were singed, His face was flushed, his veins were bulging out. A woman, seeing grey irises tinged With yellow, fainted. Probing youngsters prone To mischief screamed. A preacher yelled, “He deals With demons!” Like a tree that sprouts full-grown From fertile soil, Ben sprung upon his heels And said with eager eccentricity, “Eureka! I’ve discovered electricity.” Men came with linen bags and brimming pails. “Who set a fire?” yelled the Bucket Brigade. Hospital staff, their pallid hats like sails, Blew in: “Is someone wanting a band aid?” A small police force beat anxiety With brandished sticks: “Which culprit needs locked up?” The Philosophical Society Inquired: “What person’s deeds could be chalked up To vices causing reasoning to flounder?” Each group received its answer: their dynamic founder. Ben’s shoes sent currents through the cobblestones He’d paved. They rippled through the city grid, Lighting the streetlamps he’d installed in zones Of commerce—marvelous! Time to forbid Whale hunting—burning oil was obsolete. (This epic is environmentally Aware). House windows, lit up from the street, Showed mothers tucking, sentimentally, Their children into bed, then blowing candles Out—be careful! Curtains catch: disaster kindles. The crowd was following as static zapped Between them. “Au!” A German immigrant Cried out. He shocked an Irishman, who slapped A Scot, who jumped. A brawl was imminent. Shops emptied. Taverns filled as the sun went Down. Puritans from Boston echoed, “Ben’s A witch!” Quakers replied: “Be tolerant.” Benevolence, that binding good, will cleanse Men’s souls who join the City of God—someday. Till then, the one of Brotherly Love is here to stay. The melted kite was trailing from a string, All frazzled, stuck to Franklin’s shoe. It snapped While closing his front door. An urchin ring Fought for the remnants of the kite and clapped. The mob went separate ways. There in the dark, Ben peeked out through the window. No eavesdropping. He lit a candle with a finger spark, Then read a note that Deborah left: “Gone shopping.” He sat down in his research laboratory And tapped the frontal lobe of a memento mori. . . Andrew Benson Brown has had poems and reviews published in a few journals. His epic-in-progress, Legends of Liberty, will chronicle the major events of the American Revolution if he lives to complete it. Though he writes history articles for American Essence magazine, he lists his primary occupation on official forms as ‘poet.’ He is, in other words, a vagabond. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 31 Responses James Sale December 1, 2022 Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! More genius from the great mock-epic of modern times. I really don’t know what was funniest, but as an ex-Quaker I can say ‘Be tolerant’ struck a mighty chord. Love the linguistic feast in all this, and given its Byronic prototype, the special care and attention you pay to the absurd and superb rhyming: Bucket brigade/band aid? Yes. kindles/candles? Why not – all part of the extravagant fun. can’t wait to read more of this incredible work. Well done. Reply Michael Pietrack December 1, 2022 Agreed! “Fun” is the precise word. I liked the zapping slapping bit the best. Reply ABB December 2, 2022 Thanks, James. “The great mock-epic of modern times”—hmm, might have to use that as an endorsement at some point. Of course, have to finish it first, and who knows whether the rest of the world will ever agree with that view. Highly unlikely I’ll ever win a literary award for this thing. Unless maybe the SCP invents an award for book-length works! Reply Jeremiah Johnson December 1, 2022 Andrew, I love the introductory stanza! Reminds me somewhat of Billy Collins’ “Sonnet” – the good-humored irreverence that shows it knows whereof it speaks! Reply ABB December 2, 2022 Thanks, Jeremiah. Often seems to be a good idea, when making fun of something admirable, to close by backsliding a bit and including oneself within the category. I must confess to being smitten with antiquity myself. Reply jd December 1, 2022 I enjoyed this poem very much and loved the 4th line the best. I can imagine many souls doing that. I really enjoyed reading the rest of it too. Quite the jolt to read this about a man so much admired. Loved the tongue in cheekiness of it. Reply ABB December 2, 2022 Thanks, jd. I seem to recall medieval testimonies that talked about the departure of souls from the body. Also am reminded of a scientist in the who weighed people at the moment they died and concluded that the soul weighs 21 grams—a much ridiculed and debunked hypothesis, but makes interesting dinner conversation nevertheless. Reply Julian D. Woodruff December 1, 2022 A great combination of learning, resourcefulness, and sheer fun here, Mr Brown. Too many candidates for favorite lines and rhymes for me to pick. On “Ben peaked … “: is there a pun here that escapes me, or should it be “Ben peeked …”? Reply ABB December 2, 2022 Ouch, thanks for catching that gaff, Julian. This is why it’s a good idea to post excerpts on the site before the thing appears in print form! Reply Michael Pietrack December 1, 2022 I read the whole thing with a smile. What a fun way to imagine history. Your sense of humor is gold, Brown, and Benjamin Benson Franklin would be electric over this! Reply ABB December 2, 2022 Hmm, I feel like Benjamin Franklin should have had that middle name. I need to find some sort of legitimate link to a notable ancestor. Then make them a character. Reply James A. Tweedie December 2, 2022 The saga continues with the irrepressible, irredeemable and irresistible ABB milking American history for every daft and daffy drop he can squeeze out of it. This is history the way no dust-tongued tenured history prof has ever dared to teach lest he or she be greeted with guffaws, yuks and ha-ha-has. But with ABB at the helm, history will never again be associated with blah-blah-blahs or lah-di-dahs. As far as Ben’s experiment is concerned, Georg Wilhelm Richmann did the same But could not be revived. And Franklin, who received the fame, Was lucky he survived. And, by the way, scotch is something you drink. A person from Scotland is a Scot. Even so, a bravo well-earned. Reply ABB December 2, 2022 Thanks for the appreciation, James, and for catching the Scot/Scotch error. It’s funny you mention Richmann, because when looking for images to put in the book I found an engraving of him getting electrocuted and appropriated it. Reply Allegra Silberstein December 2, 2022 What a great way to start my day…your poem was a delight! Reply ABB December 2, 2022 Delighted you were delighted, Allegra! Reply Margaret Coats December 2, 2022 Andrew, do you start with a bit of plot and let the words sizzle away with it? Or do you make a list of crazy words you want to use, and let the plot emerge as best it can? As everyone agrees, this is fun, but challenging to both history and literature. Or maybe we classify the Apotheosis of Franklin as mock religion. I agree with your proem stanza that this story seems more Greek than those in the earlier volume (which began in a very Vergilian manner). It is more contemporary as well, with several environmental touches. Recalling my earlier reading by candlelight because a storm knocked out the power for a week, I am delighted to read this using operational electricity. To make my proofreader contribution, I will suggest that the bucket brigade should arrive with brimming pails, not “pales” which are pointed wooden stakes such as used to build a picket fence unfriendly to intruders. Keep up the good humor! Reply ABB December 3, 2022 Margaret, in response to your question, I do both. I have a general idea of where I want to go with the chapter but make specific details up as I go along. If I think of a funny word or a snatch of line I will jot it down for later. After reading Walter Isaacson’s biography of Franklin, I decided the best course of action make a lot of stuff up but keep it true in spirit. Thanks for catching the ‘pales’ error…the mistakes are piling up here. Good to have a lot of eyes on this thing. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant December 2, 2022 ABB, I love this poem – the rich, elevated language, the plethora of poetic devices, the vivid and vivacious use of imagery, and the wonder and wackiness of a story retold in your own unique style! What more could a reader who loves to walk on the wild side of literature want? Reply ABB December 3, 2022 SJB, thank you. The long stanzas allow for a lot of development in terms of picture-making and effects, but do slow down the plot. So glad I could keep it entertaining. Reply C.B. Anderson December 3, 2022 You gotta like Ben Franklin. As much as anyone could be, he was the zeroth (i.e. the one before the first) American President. Your excerpt was electric. Reply ABB December 3, 2022 As Adams complained the story would go, “Dr. Franklin’s electrical rod smote the earth and out sprung General Washington.” Zeroth–gotta add this to the list. Reply Sally Cook December 3, 2022 Dear ABB – Just followed your method, and got this — You tumble along with old Ben, Electrify all of us, then Just before his damp shoes Turn into a fuse They dry , and you save him again. Ben Franklin is one we adore Because he had humor in store For high and for low Above and below Good taste, and was never a bore. Your work is always more than it should be, and you catch us unaware. Thanks ! Reply ABB December 5, 2022 Thanks for this witty ditty. Ben’s life could fill half a dozen biographies of lesser men, he combined so many extraordinary qualities. Makes it not hard to fictionalize him and the whole thing is ripe for comedy. But then, I see comedy everywhere! Reply Joseph S. Salemi December 4, 2022 Man, talk about an electrifying chunk of poetry! This crackles along like sparks from a live wire. I’ve wondered why Franklin wasn’t killed by that kite experiment (there’s a lot more juice in a lightning bolt than the puny zap a convict gets in the electric chair). But this turns the whole episode into a riot of wild comedy and fantasy. All those folks running around reminded me of a Keystone Cops short. I love the final note from Deborah about going shopping — what a concluding deflation (or short circuit, to keep with the subject). Reply ABB December 5, 2022 Thanks, Dr. Salemi. It’s of course true that his kite wasn’t directly struck by lightning, which would have killed him. Instead he felt a charge from the accumulated electricity in the air when he touched the key with his knuckle, as shown in the Benjamin West painting. There are some skeptics out there who go further than this, denying that Franklin undertook the kite experiment at all and that he just made up the story. Which is absurd, because his son was there with him and also witnessed the event. Reply Stephen Dickey December 9, 2022 Andrew, I’m amazed at how you sustain the energy, here and in your first book. I must have been born without an epic node in my brain, I can’t imagine attempting something like this. Looking forward to volume 2. Reply ABB December 18, 2022 Thanks, Stephen. Volume 2 coming along at a slower pace than expected, but making progress! Reply jd February 2, 2023 Congratulations, Andrew! Reply Pippa Kay February 14, 2023 What a lot of fun. I laughed out loud at “And said with eager eccentricity,/ “Eureka! I’ve discovered electricity.” Such clever rhyming! Thanks so much for starting my day with a laugh. Reply Sally Cook February 21, 2023 Dear ABB, Cannot believe I forgot to offer a big fruit basket of congratulatory — fruits? eggplants? artichokes? Well, here they are! Taking it all in all, and observing the human race, history really is very funny. Reply Sally Cook February 21, 2023 ear ABBHomePoetryCulture “Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky” by Benjamin West Legends of Liberty, Volume 2: ‘Lightning Ben’ by Andrew Benson Brown The Society December 1, 2022 Culture, Epic, Humor, Poetry 29 Comments . Lightning Ben an excerpt from Legends of Liberty, Volume 2 Sing, muse! Bestow your gifts on—blah blah blah. I opened my first book with that. You get The point. Obliging poets need to draw The paths of cosmic fate, to show their debt To Heaven and their forebears. Really, though, In almost all the epics ever written, Their authors lead off with some silly throw -back to antiquity, with which they’re smitten. I promise—no Virgilian intros… Only Homeric ones: Achillean! Impose. ~ Ben Franklin’s scientific senses swelled When lightning struck his kite and killed him dead. Onlookers swear his final breath expelled A soul that lingered, flit about, and fled To Hell. This fool had played with heaven’s fire And quite deserved the fate he had received. A person who’d conduct a test so dire With hopes to not get burned was much deceived. Some children ran up and began to poke The crispy corpse, when lo!—Immortal Ben awoke. He sat up, shook his head, and looked about. His hair stood wild on end, his clothes were singed, His face was flushed, his veins were bulging out. A woman, seeing grey irises tinged With yellow, fainted. Probing youngsters prone To mischief screamed. A preacher yelled, “He deals With demons!” Like a tree that sprouts full-grown From fertile soil, Ben sprung upon his heels And said with eager eccentricity, “Eureka! I’ve discovered electricity.” Men came with linen bags and brimming pails. “Who set a fire?” yelled the Bucket Brigade. Hospital staff, their pallid hats like sails, Blew in: “Is someone wanting a band aid?” A small police force beat anxiety With brandished sticks: “Which culprit needs locked up?” The Philosophical Society Inquired: “What person’s deeds could be chalked up To vices causing reasoning to flounder?” Each group received its answer: their dynamic founder. Ben’s shoes sent currents through the cobblestones He’d paved. They rippled through the city grid, Lighting the streetlamps he’d installed in zones Of commerce—marvelous! Time to forbid Whale hunting—burning oil was obsolete. (This epic is environmentally Aware). House windows, lit up from the street, Showed mothers tucking, sentimentally, Their children into bed, then blowing candles Out—be careful! Curtains catch: disaster kindles. The crowd was following as static zapped Between them. “Au!” A German immigrant Cried out. He shocked an Irishman, who slapped A Scot, who jumped. A brawl was imminent. Shops emptied. Taverns filled as the sun went Down. Puritans from Boston echoed, “Ben’s A witch!” Quakers replied: “Be tolerant.” Benevolence, that binding good, will cleanse Men’s souls who join the City of God—someday. Till then, the one of Brotherly Love is here to stay. The melted kite was trailing from a string, All frazzled, stuck to Franklin’s shoe. It snapped While closing his front door. An urchin ring Fought for the remnants of the kite and clapped. The mob went separate ways. There in the dark, Ben peeked out through the window. No eavesdropping. He lit a candle with a finger spark, Then read a note that Deborah left: “Gone shopping.” He sat down in his research laboratory And tapped the frontal lobe of a memento mori. . . Andrew Benson Brown has had poems and reviews published in a few journals. His epic-in-progress, Legends of Liberty, will chronicle the major events of the American Revolution if he lives to complete it. Though he writes history articles for American Essence magazine, he lists his primary occupation on official forms as ‘poet.’ He is, in other words, a vagabond. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or comments. CODEC Stories: The Sacred Fiber that United the East and West The Sacred Fiber that United the East and West That sacred fiber is silk—a material born of legend, and so valuable it opened up the most significant trade route in human history. Get Lustrous & Lush Hair Before the Holidays Get Lustrous & Lush Hair Before the Holidays In many cases, your hair will look richer and more lustrous within the very first week. The Most Intriguing Cartier Jewelry Collection The Most Intriguing Cartier Jewelry Collection Iconic designs collection by a premium New York City boutique ***Recommended: Read the SCP Comments Policy Here.*** Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) 29 RESPONSES James Sale December 1, 2022 Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! More genius from the great mock-epic of modern times. I really don’t know what was funniest, but as an ex-Quaker I can say ‘Be tolerant’ struck a mighty chord. Love the linguistic feast in all this, and given its Byronic prototype, the special care and attention you pay to the absurd and superb rhyming: Bucket brigade/band aid? Yes. kindles/candles? Why not – all part of the extravagant fun. can’t wait to read more of this incredible work. Well done. REPLY Michael Pietrack December 1, 2022 Agreed! “Fun” is the precise word. I liked the zapping slapping bit the best. REPLY ABB December 2, 2022 Thanks, James. “The great mock-epic of modern times”—hmm, might have to use that as an endorsement at some point. Of course, have to finish it first, and who knows whether the rest of the world will ever agree with that view. Highly unlikely I’ll ever win a literary award for this thing. Unless maybe the SCP invents an award for book-length works! REPLY Jeremiah Johnson December 1, 2022 Andrew, I love the introductory stanza! Reminds me somewhat of Billy Collins’ “Sonnet” – the good-humored irreverence that shows it knows whereof it speaks! REPLY ABB December 2, 2022 Thanks, Jeremiah. Often seems to be a good idea, when making fun of something admirable, to close by backsliding a bit and including oneself within the category. I must confess to being smitten with antiquity myself. REPLY jd December 1, 2022 I enjoyed this poem very much and loved the 4th line the best. I can imagine many souls doing that. I really enjoyed reading the rest of it too. Quite the jolt to read this about a man so much admired. Loved the tongue in cheekiness of it. REPLY ABB December 2, 2022 Thanks, jd. I seem to recall medieval testimonies that talked about the departure of souls from the body. Also am reminded of a scientist in the who weighed people at the moment they died and concluded that the soul weighs 21 grams—a much ridiculed and debunked hypothesis, but makes interesting dinner conversation nevertheless. REPLY Julian D. Woodruff December 1, 2022 A great combination of learning, resourcefulness, and sheer fun here, Mr Brown. Too many candidates for favorite lines and rhymes for me to pick. On “Ben peaked … “: is there a pun here that escapes me, or should it be “Ben peeked …”? REPLY ABB December 2, 2022 Ouch, thanks for catching that gaff, Julian. This is why it’s a good idea to post excerpts on the site before the thing appears in print form! REPLY Michael Pietrack December 1, 2022 I read the whole thing with a smile. What a fun way to imagine history. Your sense of humor is gold, Brown, and Benjamin Benson Franklin would be electric over this! REPLY ABB December 2, 2022 Hmm, I feel like Benjamin Franklin should have had that middle name. I need to find some sort of legitimate link to a notable ancestor. Then make them a character. REPLY James A. Tweedie December 2, 2022 The saga continues with the irrepressible, irredeemable and irresistible ABB milking American history for every daft and daffy drop he can squeeze out of it. This is history the way no dust-tongued tenured history prof has ever dared to teach lest he or she be greeted with guffaws, yuks and ha-ha-has. But with ABB at the helm, history will never again be associated with blah-blah-blahs or lah-di-dahs. As far as Ben’s experiment is concerned, Georg Wilhelm Richmann did the same But could not be revived. And Franklin, who received the fame, Was lucky he survived. And, by the way, scotch is something you drink. A person from Scotland is a Scot. Even so, a bravo well-earned. REPLY ABB December 2, 2022 Thanks for the appreciation, James, and for catching the Scot/Scotch error. It’s funny you mention Richmann, because when looking for images to put in the book I found an engraving of him getting electrocuted and appropriated it. REPLY Allegra Silberstein December 2, 2022 What a great way to start my day…your poem was a delight! REPLY ABB December 2, 2022 Delighted you were delighted, Allegra! REPLY Margaret Coats December 2, 2022 Andrew, do you start with a bit of plot and let the words sizzle away with it? Or do you make a list of crazy words you want to use, and let the plot emerge as best it can? As everyone agrees, this is fun, but challenging to both history and literature. Or maybe we classify the Apotheosis of Franklin as mock religion. I agree with your proem stanza that this story seems more Greek than those in the earlier volume (which began in a very Vergilian manner). It is more contemporary as well, with several environmental touches. Recalling my earlier reading by candlelight because a storm knocked out the power for a week, I am delighted to read this using operational electricity. To make my proofreader contribution, I will suggest that the bucket brigade should arrive with brimming pails, not “pales” which are pointed wooden stakes such as used to build a picket fence unfriendly to intruders. Keep up the good humor! REPLY ABB December 3, 2022 Margaret, in response to your question, I do both. I have a general idea of where I want to go with the chapter but make specific details up as I go along. If I think of a funny word or a snatch of line I will jot it down for later. After reading Walter Isaacson’s biography of Franklin, I decided the best course of action make a lot of stuff up but keep it true in spirit. Thanks for catching the ‘pales’ error…the mistakes are piling up here. Good to have a lot of eyes on this thing. REPLY Susan Jarvis Bryant December 2, 2022 ABB, I love this poem – the rich, elevated language, the plethora of poetic devices, the vivid and vivacious use of imagery, and the wonder and wackiness of a story retold in your own unique style! What more could a reader who loves to walk on the wild side of literature want? REPLY ABB December 3, 2022 SJB, thank you. The long stanzas allow for a lot of development in terms of picture-making and effects, but do slow down the plot. So glad I could keep it entertaining. REPLY C.B. Anderson December 3, 2022 You gotta like Ben Franklin. As much as anyone could be, he was the zeroth (i.e. the one before the first) American President. Your excerpt was electric. REPLY ABB December 3, 2022 As Adams complained the story would go, “Dr. Franklin’s electrical rod smote the earth and out sprung General Washington.” Zeroth–gotta add this to the list. REPLY Sally Cook December 3, 2022 Dear ABB – Just followed your method, and got this — You tumble along with old Ben, Electrify all of us, then Just before his damp shoes Turn into a fuse They dry , and you save him again. Ben Franklin is one we adore Because he had humor in store For high and for low Above and below Good taste, and was never a bore. Your work is always more than it should be, and you catch us unaware. Thanks ! REPLY ABB December 5, 2022 Thanks for this witty ditty. Ben’s life could fill half a dozen biographies of lesser men, he combined so many extraordinary qualities. Makes it not hard to fictionalize him and the whole thing is ripe for comedy. But then, I see comedy everywhere! REPLY Joseph S. Salemi December 4, 2022 Man, talk about an electrifying chunk of poetry! This crackles along like sparks from a live wire. I’ve wondered why Franklin wasn’t killed by that kite experiment (there’s a lot more juice in a lightning bolt than the puny zap a convict gets in the electric chair). But this turns the whole episode into a riot of wild comedy and fantasy. All those folks running around reminded me of a Keystone Cops short. I love the final note from Deborah about going shopping — what a concluding deflation (or short circuit, to keep with the subject). REPLY ABB December 5, 2022 Thanks, Dr. Salemi. It’s of course true that his kite wasn’t directly struck by lightning, which would have killed him. Instead he felt a charge from the accumulated electricity in the air when he touched the key with his knuckle, as shown in the Benjamin West painting. There are some skeptics out there who go further than this, denying that Franklin undertook the kite experiment at all and that he just made up the story. Which is absurd, because his son was there with him and also witnessed the event. REPLY Stephen Dickey December 9, 2022 Andrew, I’m amazed at how you sustain the energy, here and in your first book. I must have been born without an epic node in my brain, I can’t imagine attempting something like this. Looking forward to volume 2. REPLY ABB December 18, 2022 Thanks, Stephen. Volume 2 coming along at a slower pace than expected, but making progress! REPLY jd February 2, 2023 Congratulations, Andrew! REPLY Pippa Kay February 14, 2023 What a lot of fun. I laughed out loud at “And said with eager eccentricity,/ “Eureka! I’ve discovered electricity.” Such clever rhyming! Thanks so much for starting my day with a laugh. REPLY LEAVE A REPLY Your email address will not be published. Comment Cannot believe I forgot to offer a big fruit basket of congratulatory — fruits? eggplants? artichokes? Well, here they are! Taking it all in all, and observing the human race, history really is very funny. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
James Sale December 1, 2022 Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! More genius from the great mock-epic of modern times. I really don’t know what was funniest, but as an ex-Quaker I can say ‘Be tolerant’ struck a mighty chord. Love the linguistic feast in all this, and given its Byronic prototype, the special care and attention you pay to the absurd and superb rhyming: Bucket brigade/band aid? Yes. kindles/candles? Why not – all part of the extravagant fun. can’t wait to read more of this incredible work. Well done. Reply
Michael Pietrack December 1, 2022 Agreed! “Fun” is the precise word. I liked the zapping slapping bit the best. Reply
ABB December 2, 2022 Thanks, James. “The great mock-epic of modern times”—hmm, might have to use that as an endorsement at some point. Of course, have to finish it first, and who knows whether the rest of the world will ever agree with that view. Highly unlikely I’ll ever win a literary award for this thing. Unless maybe the SCP invents an award for book-length works! Reply
Jeremiah Johnson December 1, 2022 Andrew, I love the introductory stanza! Reminds me somewhat of Billy Collins’ “Sonnet” – the good-humored irreverence that shows it knows whereof it speaks! Reply
ABB December 2, 2022 Thanks, Jeremiah. Often seems to be a good idea, when making fun of something admirable, to close by backsliding a bit and including oneself within the category. I must confess to being smitten with antiquity myself. Reply
jd December 1, 2022 I enjoyed this poem very much and loved the 4th line the best. I can imagine many souls doing that. I really enjoyed reading the rest of it too. Quite the jolt to read this about a man so much admired. Loved the tongue in cheekiness of it. Reply
ABB December 2, 2022 Thanks, jd. I seem to recall medieval testimonies that talked about the departure of souls from the body. Also am reminded of a scientist in the who weighed people at the moment they died and concluded that the soul weighs 21 grams—a much ridiculed and debunked hypothesis, but makes interesting dinner conversation nevertheless. Reply
Julian D. Woodruff December 1, 2022 A great combination of learning, resourcefulness, and sheer fun here, Mr Brown. Too many candidates for favorite lines and rhymes for me to pick. On “Ben peaked … “: is there a pun here that escapes me, or should it be “Ben peeked …”? Reply
ABB December 2, 2022 Ouch, thanks for catching that gaff, Julian. This is why it’s a good idea to post excerpts on the site before the thing appears in print form! Reply
Michael Pietrack December 1, 2022 I read the whole thing with a smile. What a fun way to imagine history. Your sense of humor is gold, Brown, and Benjamin Benson Franklin would be electric over this! Reply
ABB December 2, 2022 Hmm, I feel like Benjamin Franklin should have had that middle name. I need to find some sort of legitimate link to a notable ancestor. Then make them a character. Reply
James A. Tweedie December 2, 2022 The saga continues with the irrepressible, irredeemable and irresistible ABB milking American history for every daft and daffy drop he can squeeze out of it. This is history the way no dust-tongued tenured history prof has ever dared to teach lest he or she be greeted with guffaws, yuks and ha-ha-has. But with ABB at the helm, history will never again be associated with blah-blah-blahs or lah-di-dahs. As far as Ben’s experiment is concerned, Georg Wilhelm Richmann did the same But could not be revived. And Franklin, who received the fame, Was lucky he survived. And, by the way, scotch is something you drink. A person from Scotland is a Scot. Even so, a bravo well-earned. Reply
ABB December 2, 2022 Thanks for the appreciation, James, and for catching the Scot/Scotch error. It’s funny you mention Richmann, because when looking for images to put in the book I found an engraving of him getting electrocuted and appropriated it. Reply
Margaret Coats December 2, 2022 Andrew, do you start with a bit of plot and let the words sizzle away with it? Or do you make a list of crazy words you want to use, and let the plot emerge as best it can? As everyone agrees, this is fun, but challenging to both history and literature. Or maybe we classify the Apotheosis of Franklin as mock religion. I agree with your proem stanza that this story seems more Greek than those in the earlier volume (which began in a very Vergilian manner). It is more contemporary as well, with several environmental touches. Recalling my earlier reading by candlelight because a storm knocked out the power for a week, I am delighted to read this using operational electricity. To make my proofreader contribution, I will suggest that the bucket brigade should arrive with brimming pails, not “pales” which are pointed wooden stakes such as used to build a picket fence unfriendly to intruders. Keep up the good humor! Reply
ABB December 3, 2022 Margaret, in response to your question, I do both. I have a general idea of where I want to go with the chapter but make specific details up as I go along. If I think of a funny word or a snatch of line I will jot it down for later. After reading Walter Isaacson’s biography of Franklin, I decided the best course of action make a lot of stuff up but keep it true in spirit. Thanks for catching the ‘pales’ error…the mistakes are piling up here. Good to have a lot of eyes on this thing. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant December 2, 2022 ABB, I love this poem – the rich, elevated language, the plethora of poetic devices, the vivid and vivacious use of imagery, and the wonder and wackiness of a story retold in your own unique style! What more could a reader who loves to walk on the wild side of literature want? Reply
ABB December 3, 2022 SJB, thank you. The long stanzas allow for a lot of development in terms of picture-making and effects, but do slow down the plot. So glad I could keep it entertaining. Reply
C.B. Anderson December 3, 2022 You gotta like Ben Franklin. As much as anyone could be, he was the zeroth (i.e. the one before the first) American President. Your excerpt was electric. Reply
ABB December 3, 2022 As Adams complained the story would go, “Dr. Franklin’s electrical rod smote the earth and out sprung General Washington.” Zeroth–gotta add this to the list. Reply
Sally Cook December 3, 2022 Dear ABB – Just followed your method, and got this — You tumble along with old Ben, Electrify all of us, then Just before his damp shoes Turn into a fuse They dry , and you save him again. Ben Franklin is one we adore Because he had humor in store For high and for low Above and below Good taste, and was never a bore. Your work is always more than it should be, and you catch us unaware. Thanks ! Reply
ABB December 5, 2022 Thanks for this witty ditty. Ben’s life could fill half a dozen biographies of lesser men, he combined so many extraordinary qualities. Makes it not hard to fictionalize him and the whole thing is ripe for comedy. But then, I see comedy everywhere! Reply
Joseph S. Salemi December 4, 2022 Man, talk about an electrifying chunk of poetry! This crackles along like sparks from a live wire. I’ve wondered why Franklin wasn’t killed by that kite experiment (there’s a lot more juice in a lightning bolt than the puny zap a convict gets in the electric chair). But this turns the whole episode into a riot of wild comedy and fantasy. All those folks running around reminded me of a Keystone Cops short. I love the final note from Deborah about going shopping — what a concluding deflation (or short circuit, to keep with the subject). Reply
ABB December 5, 2022 Thanks, Dr. Salemi. It’s of course true that his kite wasn’t directly struck by lightning, which would have killed him. Instead he felt a charge from the accumulated electricity in the air when he touched the key with his knuckle, as shown in the Benjamin West painting. There are some skeptics out there who go further than this, denying that Franklin undertook the kite experiment at all and that he just made up the story. Which is absurd, because his son was there with him and also witnessed the event. Reply
Stephen Dickey December 9, 2022 Andrew, I’m amazed at how you sustain the energy, here and in your first book. I must have been born without an epic node in my brain, I can’t imagine attempting something like this. Looking forward to volume 2. Reply
ABB December 18, 2022 Thanks, Stephen. Volume 2 coming along at a slower pace than expected, but making progress! Reply
Pippa Kay February 14, 2023 What a lot of fun. I laughed out loud at “And said with eager eccentricity,/ “Eureka! I’ve discovered electricity.” Such clever rhyming! Thanks so much for starting my day with a laugh. Reply
Sally Cook February 21, 2023 Dear ABB, Cannot believe I forgot to offer a big fruit basket of congratulatory — fruits? eggplants? artichokes? Well, here they are! Taking it all in all, and observing the human race, history really is very funny. Reply
Sally Cook February 21, 2023 ear ABBHomePoetryCulture “Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky” by Benjamin West Legends of Liberty, Volume 2: ‘Lightning Ben’ by Andrew Benson Brown The Society December 1, 2022 Culture, Epic, Humor, Poetry 29 Comments . Lightning Ben an excerpt from Legends of Liberty, Volume 2 Sing, muse! Bestow your gifts on—blah blah blah. I opened my first book with that. You get The point. Obliging poets need to draw The paths of cosmic fate, to show their debt To Heaven and their forebears. Really, though, In almost all the epics ever written, Their authors lead off with some silly throw -back to antiquity, with which they’re smitten. I promise—no Virgilian intros… Only Homeric ones: Achillean! Impose. ~ Ben Franklin’s scientific senses swelled When lightning struck his kite and killed him dead. Onlookers swear his final breath expelled A soul that lingered, flit about, and fled To Hell. This fool had played with heaven’s fire And quite deserved the fate he had received. A person who’d conduct a test so dire With hopes to not get burned was much deceived. Some children ran up and began to poke The crispy corpse, when lo!—Immortal Ben awoke. He sat up, shook his head, and looked about. His hair stood wild on end, his clothes were singed, His face was flushed, his veins were bulging out. A woman, seeing grey irises tinged With yellow, fainted. Probing youngsters prone To mischief screamed. A preacher yelled, “He deals With demons!” Like a tree that sprouts full-grown From fertile soil, Ben sprung upon his heels And said with eager eccentricity, “Eureka! I’ve discovered electricity.” Men came with linen bags and brimming pails. “Who set a fire?” yelled the Bucket Brigade. Hospital staff, their pallid hats like sails, Blew in: “Is someone wanting a band aid?” A small police force beat anxiety With brandished sticks: “Which culprit needs locked up?” The Philosophical Society Inquired: “What person’s deeds could be chalked up To vices causing reasoning to flounder?” Each group received its answer: their dynamic founder. Ben’s shoes sent currents through the cobblestones He’d paved. They rippled through the city grid, Lighting the streetlamps he’d installed in zones Of commerce—marvelous! Time to forbid Whale hunting—burning oil was obsolete. (This epic is environmentally Aware). House windows, lit up from the street, Showed mothers tucking, sentimentally, Their children into bed, then blowing candles Out—be careful! Curtains catch: disaster kindles. The crowd was following as static zapped Between them. “Au!” A German immigrant Cried out. He shocked an Irishman, who slapped A Scot, who jumped. A brawl was imminent. Shops emptied. Taverns filled as the sun went Down. Puritans from Boston echoed, “Ben’s A witch!” Quakers replied: “Be tolerant.” Benevolence, that binding good, will cleanse Men’s souls who join the City of God—someday. Till then, the one of Brotherly Love is here to stay. The melted kite was trailing from a string, All frazzled, stuck to Franklin’s shoe. It snapped While closing his front door. An urchin ring Fought for the remnants of the kite and clapped. The mob went separate ways. There in the dark, Ben peeked out through the window. No eavesdropping. He lit a candle with a finger spark, Then read a note that Deborah left: “Gone shopping.” He sat down in his research laboratory And tapped the frontal lobe of a memento mori. . . Andrew Benson Brown has had poems and reviews published in a few journals. His epic-in-progress, Legends of Liberty, will chronicle the major events of the American Revolution if he lives to complete it. Though he writes history articles for American Essence magazine, he lists his primary occupation on official forms as ‘poet.’ He is, in other words, a vagabond. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or comments. CODEC Stories: The Sacred Fiber that United the East and West The Sacred Fiber that United the East and West That sacred fiber is silk—a material born of legend, and so valuable it opened up the most significant trade route in human history. Get Lustrous & Lush Hair Before the Holidays Get Lustrous & Lush Hair Before the Holidays In many cases, your hair will look richer and more lustrous within the very first week. The Most Intriguing Cartier Jewelry Collection The Most Intriguing Cartier Jewelry Collection Iconic designs collection by a premium New York City boutique ***Recommended: Read the SCP Comments Policy Here.*** Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) 29 RESPONSES James Sale December 1, 2022 Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! More genius from the great mock-epic of modern times. I really don’t know what was funniest, but as an ex-Quaker I can say ‘Be tolerant’ struck a mighty chord. Love the linguistic feast in all this, and given its Byronic prototype, the special care and attention you pay to the absurd and superb rhyming: Bucket brigade/band aid? Yes. kindles/candles? Why not – all part of the extravagant fun. can’t wait to read more of this incredible work. Well done. REPLY Michael Pietrack December 1, 2022 Agreed! “Fun” is the precise word. I liked the zapping slapping bit the best. REPLY ABB December 2, 2022 Thanks, James. “The great mock-epic of modern times”—hmm, might have to use that as an endorsement at some point. Of course, have to finish it first, and who knows whether the rest of the world will ever agree with that view. Highly unlikely I’ll ever win a literary award for this thing. Unless maybe the SCP invents an award for book-length works! REPLY Jeremiah Johnson December 1, 2022 Andrew, I love the introductory stanza! Reminds me somewhat of Billy Collins’ “Sonnet” – the good-humored irreverence that shows it knows whereof it speaks! REPLY ABB December 2, 2022 Thanks, Jeremiah. Often seems to be a good idea, when making fun of something admirable, to close by backsliding a bit and including oneself within the category. I must confess to being smitten with antiquity myself. REPLY jd December 1, 2022 I enjoyed this poem very much and loved the 4th line the best. I can imagine many souls doing that. I really enjoyed reading the rest of it too. Quite the jolt to read this about a man so much admired. Loved the tongue in cheekiness of it. REPLY ABB December 2, 2022 Thanks, jd. I seem to recall medieval testimonies that talked about the departure of souls from the body. Also am reminded of a scientist in the who weighed people at the moment they died and concluded that the soul weighs 21 grams—a much ridiculed and debunked hypothesis, but makes interesting dinner conversation nevertheless. REPLY Julian D. Woodruff December 1, 2022 A great combination of learning, resourcefulness, and sheer fun here, Mr Brown. Too many candidates for favorite lines and rhymes for me to pick. On “Ben peaked … “: is there a pun here that escapes me, or should it be “Ben peeked …”? REPLY ABB December 2, 2022 Ouch, thanks for catching that gaff, Julian. This is why it’s a good idea to post excerpts on the site before the thing appears in print form! REPLY Michael Pietrack December 1, 2022 I read the whole thing with a smile. What a fun way to imagine history. Your sense of humor is gold, Brown, and Benjamin Benson Franklin would be electric over this! REPLY ABB December 2, 2022 Hmm, I feel like Benjamin Franklin should have had that middle name. I need to find some sort of legitimate link to a notable ancestor. Then make them a character. REPLY James A. Tweedie December 2, 2022 The saga continues with the irrepressible, irredeemable and irresistible ABB milking American history for every daft and daffy drop he can squeeze out of it. This is history the way no dust-tongued tenured history prof has ever dared to teach lest he or she be greeted with guffaws, yuks and ha-ha-has. But with ABB at the helm, history will never again be associated with blah-blah-blahs or lah-di-dahs. As far as Ben’s experiment is concerned, Georg Wilhelm Richmann did the same But could not be revived. And Franklin, who received the fame, Was lucky he survived. And, by the way, scotch is something you drink. A person from Scotland is a Scot. Even so, a bravo well-earned. REPLY ABB December 2, 2022 Thanks for the appreciation, James, and for catching the Scot/Scotch error. It’s funny you mention Richmann, because when looking for images to put in the book I found an engraving of him getting electrocuted and appropriated it. REPLY Allegra Silberstein December 2, 2022 What a great way to start my day…your poem was a delight! REPLY ABB December 2, 2022 Delighted you were delighted, Allegra! REPLY Margaret Coats December 2, 2022 Andrew, do you start with a bit of plot and let the words sizzle away with it? Or do you make a list of crazy words you want to use, and let the plot emerge as best it can? As everyone agrees, this is fun, but challenging to both history and literature. Or maybe we classify the Apotheosis of Franklin as mock religion. I agree with your proem stanza that this story seems more Greek than those in the earlier volume (which began in a very Vergilian manner). It is more contemporary as well, with several environmental touches. Recalling my earlier reading by candlelight because a storm knocked out the power for a week, I am delighted to read this using operational electricity. To make my proofreader contribution, I will suggest that the bucket brigade should arrive with brimming pails, not “pales” which are pointed wooden stakes such as used to build a picket fence unfriendly to intruders. Keep up the good humor! REPLY ABB December 3, 2022 Margaret, in response to your question, I do both. I have a general idea of where I want to go with the chapter but make specific details up as I go along. If I think of a funny word or a snatch of line I will jot it down for later. After reading Walter Isaacson’s biography of Franklin, I decided the best course of action make a lot of stuff up but keep it true in spirit. Thanks for catching the ‘pales’ error…the mistakes are piling up here. Good to have a lot of eyes on this thing. REPLY Susan Jarvis Bryant December 2, 2022 ABB, I love this poem – the rich, elevated language, the plethora of poetic devices, the vivid and vivacious use of imagery, and the wonder and wackiness of a story retold in your own unique style! What more could a reader who loves to walk on the wild side of literature want? REPLY ABB December 3, 2022 SJB, thank you. The long stanzas allow for a lot of development in terms of picture-making and effects, but do slow down the plot. So glad I could keep it entertaining. REPLY C.B. Anderson December 3, 2022 You gotta like Ben Franklin. As much as anyone could be, he was the zeroth (i.e. the one before the first) American President. Your excerpt was electric. REPLY ABB December 3, 2022 As Adams complained the story would go, “Dr. Franklin’s electrical rod smote the earth and out sprung General Washington.” Zeroth–gotta add this to the list. REPLY Sally Cook December 3, 2022 Dear ABB – Just followed your method, and got this — You tumble along with old Ben, Electrify all of us, then Just before his damp shoes Turn into a fuse They dry , and you save him again. Ben Franklin is one we adore Because he had humor in store For high and for low Above and below Good taste, and was never a bore. Your work is always more than it should be, and you catch us unaware. Thanks ! REPLY ABB December 5, 2022 Thanks for this witty ditty. Ben’s life could fill half a dozen biographies of lesser men, he combined so many extraordinary qualities. Makes it not hard to fictionalize him and the whole thing is ripe for comedy. But then, I see comedy everywhere! REPLY Joseph S. Salemi December 4, 2022 Man, talk about an electrifying chunk of poetry! This crackles along like sparks from a live wire. I’ve wondered why Franklin wasn’t killed by that kite experiment (there’s a lot more juice in a lightning bolt than the puny zap a convict gets in the electric chair). But this turns the whole episode into a riot of wild comedy and fantasy. All those folks running around reminded me of a Keystone Cops short. I love the final note from Deborah about going shopping — what a concluding deflation (or short circuit, to keep with the subject). REPLY ABB December 5, 2022 Thanks, Dr. Salemi. It’s of course true that his kite wasn’t directly struck by lightning, which would have killed him. Instead he felt a charge from the accumulated electricity in the air when he touched the key with his knuckle, as shown in the Benjamin West painting. There are some skeptics out there who go further than this, denying that Franklin undertook the kite experiment at all and that he just made up the story. Which is absurd, because his son was there with him and also witnessed the event. REPLY Stephen Dickey December 9, 2022 Andrew, I’m amazed at how you sustain the energy, here and in your first book. I must have been born without an epic node in my brain, I can’t imagine attempting something like this. Looking forward to volume 2. REPLY ABB December 18, 2022 Thanks, Stephen. Volume 2 coming along at a slower pace than expected, but making progress! REPLY jd February 2, 2023 Congratulations, Andrew! REPLY Pippa Kay February 14, 2023 What a lot of fun. I laughed out loud at “And said with eager eccentricity,/ “Eureka! I’ve discovered electricity.” Such clever rhyming! Thanks so much for starting my day with a laugh. REPLY LEAVE A REPLY Your email address will not be published. Comment Cannot believe I forgot to offer a big fruit basket of congratulatory — fruits? eggplants? artichokes? Well, here they are! Taking it all in all, and observing the human race, history really is very funny. Reply
