Franklin was a practical man, and although he displayed tremendous imagination, he put it to practical use. While Wheatley was writing about "Th' empyreal palace of the thund'ring God." Franklin debated the merits of being married vs. taking an older woman as a mistress. These differences are to be expected. In the 18th century, genteel women - and Wheatley was raised as a genteel woman even though she started her life in America as a slave - did not concern themselves with the practical realities of life. .

             The differences in their writing highlight the fact that although they both grew above their position at birth, Franklin was able to elevate himself more than Wheatley could. Part of this difference undoubtedly lies in their racial differences, and part of it their gender differences. Franklin was an active inventor, a highly imaginative use of creativity. He invented bifocals, a development that resulted in dramatic changes in the manufacture of eyeglasses. He invented the Franklin Stove. Homes were often heated by fireplaces during that time, and only one side of a fireplace released heat into the room. The Franklin Stove stands in the room and is not built into the wall. The result is that heat is released from all sides, providing more heat for the home. .

             While Franklin's work was largely practical, sometimes he applied imagination to life simply out of curiosity. He devised his experiment with a kite and a key because he was curious about lightning, not because he was looking for some way to harness lightning and use It in some practical way. But even then his approach was simple and concrete. He wrote no flowery poem extolling the wonders of lightning after he finished his experiment. It seems likely that if a woman had taken a kite, tied a key to the string and flown the kite in a thunderstorm, people might have thought she had gone mad. .

             The differences between Franklin's and Wheatley's writing may reflect a difference in formal education.