Although beethoven was able to compose great music, his greatest compositions were extreamly difficult for him to write because of his poor hearing. Before he turned thirty, he began to go deaf. His deafness causedhim great despair and he felt sure he was going to die. However, he gathered his courage and continued writing music, through his hearing became steadily worse. He wrote stormy, exciting, revolutionary music, which reminds us of this troubled life. In time, beethoven became so deaf that he could not hear even the stormiest parts of this music. But, the music from his deaf years was his best. He could "hear" the music with the mind. Though he was often lonely and unhappy he was able to compose joyful music. In the last symphony, a choir sings a wonderful hymn of joy. Today beethoven is remembered as a man with great courage who was able to overcome his deafness and give great music of joy and inspiration to the wolrd