THINKER'S ALMANAC - December 19

In 18th century America, what was the one publication that most homes had hanging on a hook in their kitchen?

Subject:  Proverbs - Poor Richard’s Almanack

Event: Benjamin Franklin publishes an almanac, 1732

Almanacs are cyclical, a reminder that things happen in their time and place, and we can prepare and make plans, but frost might come anyway. Or a coyote might eat our chickens. But there’s next year. And regardless, we can still count the acorns and avoid killing the spiders. -Jess McHugh

On this day in 1732, Poor Richard’s Almanack was first published.  The publisher and writer was Benjamin Franklin, who wrote under the pseudonym Richard Saunders.

                                                            Image by Tumisu from Pixabay 

Poor Richard’s Almanack was just one of many almanacs published in the United States.  In a country that was primarily agrarian, an almanac was an essential tool for attempting to forecast the weather.  Many homes did not have a single book, not even a Bible, but they did have an almanac.  Typically almanacs had a hole in the top left corner so they could be placed on a hook for easy access (1).

In 1758, Franklin published an essay where he summed up the success of his almanac and explained his purpose in publishing it:

 In 1732 I first published my Almanac under the name of Richard Saunders; it was continued by me about twenty-five years, and commonly called Poor Richard's Almanac. I endeavoured to make it both entertaining and useful, and it accordingly came to be in such demand, that I reaped considerable profit from it, vending annually near ten thousand. And observing that it was generally read, (scarce any neighbourhood in the province being without it,) I considered it as a proper vehicle for conveying instruction among the common people, who bought Scarcely any other books. I therefore filled all the little spaces, that occurred between the remarkable days in the Calendar, with proverbial sentences, chiefly such as inculcated industry and frugality, as the means of procuring wealth, and thereby securing virtue; it being more difficult for a man in want to act always honestly, as (to use here one of those proverbs) It is hard for an empty sack to stand upright (2)

While full of practical tips and advice, it’s the philosophical content of Poor Richard’s Almanac that has truly stood the test of time. Franklin’s proverbs are models of concise, clear, and cogent wisdom:

 

Little strokes fell great oaks.

A penny saved is a penny earned.

Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

People who are wrapped up in themselves make small packages.

Well done is better than well said.

If a man could have half his wishes, he would double his troubles.

Love your enemies, for they tell you your faults.

Laziness travels so slowly that Poverty soon overtakes him. (3)

Recall, Retrieve, Recite, Ruminate, Reflect, Reason:  Why was the almanac such a prized possession by 18th-century Americans?

Challenge - Wise Words: What is your favorite proverb?  Why do you like it?  What timeless wisdom does it present to its readers?

 

ALSO ON THIS DAY:

-December 19, 1932:  On this date in 1932 the following list appeared in Time magazine under the title “The Ten Most Beautiful Words in the English Language”:

dawn, hush, lullaby, murmuring, tranquil,

mist, luminous, chimes, golden, melody

The list was compiled by author and lexicographer Wilfred J. Funk (1883-1965), who was the president of Funk & Wagnalls, the publisher of the Funk & Wagnalls Dictionary.  Funk was a lifelong proponent of vocabulary acquisition.  From 1945 to 1965 he prepared a monthly feature for Reader’s Digest called It Pays to Increase Your Word Power.  Funk’s monthly Word Power quiz featured a collection of words united by a common theme and was one of the magazine’s most popular features.  When Funk died in 1965, his son Peter continued the feature, which became It Pays to ‘Enrich’ Your Word Power. In 1942, Funk co-authored the book 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary.  The book was a wildly popular bestseller, leading the way for the numerous vocabulary-building books and programs published today (4).

Sources:

1-McHugh, Jess. “The Quiet Mysticism of Almanacs.” LA Review of Books, 11 July 2021.

2-Franklin, Benjamin. “The Way to Wealth” (1758).

3-Proverbs and Aphorisms from Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack. Poorrichard.net.

4-Lexicography:  Words That Sizzled. Time 11 June 1965.