Poetical Quill Souls

Poetical Quill Souls

This blog contains a collection of renowned and young authors from around the world poems in the languages in which they were originally written. Each file includes author’s photo or portrait and brief biography. We offer news and announcements of interest to professional and amateur writers (writing competitions, poetry press, etc) too.

Este blog recoge una selección de poemas de reputados autores y jóvenes promesas de todo el mundo en las lenguas en las que fueron escritos originalmente. Se incluye en cada ficha una breve reseña biográfica del autor y fotos o cuadros de éste. Se complementa el grueso del material con datos de interés para escritores profesionales o aficionados a la literatura (como información sobre certámenes literarios, editoriales dedicadas a la poesía, etc).

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin by Joseph Siffred Duplessis
        On the Freedom of the Press

        HILE free from Force the Press remains,
        Virtue and Freedom chear our Plains,
        And Learning Largesses bestows,
        And keeps unlicens'd open House.
        We to the Nation's publick Mart
        Our Works of Wit, and Schemes of Art,
        And philosophic Goods, this Way,
        Like Water carriage, cheap convey.
        This Tree which Knowledge so affords,
        Inquisitors with flaming swords
        From Lay-Approach with Zeal defend,
        Lest their own Paradise should end.
        
        The Press from her fecundous Womb
        Brought forth the Arts of Greece and Rome;
        Her offspring, skill'd in Logic War,
        Truth's Banner wav'd in open Air;
        The Monster Superstition fled,
        And hid in Shades in Gorgon Head;
        And awless Pow'r, the long kept Field,
        By Reason quell'd, was forc'd to yield.
        
        This Nurse of Arts, and Freedom's Fence,
        To chain, is Treason against Sense:
        And Liberty, thy thousand Tongues
        None silence who design no Wrongs;
        For those who use the Gag's Restraint,
        First Rob, before they stop Complaint.

 

Benjamin Franklin (Boston, EE UU, 1706 - Filadelfia, 1790). Político, científico e inventor. Uno de los Padres Fundadores de los Estados Unidos.