A. Function of Proverb
Proverbs play very important roles in different types of
literary works. The most important function of proverbs is to teach and educate
the audience. They often contain an expert advice with a role for educating the
readers on what they may face if they would do something. Hence, proverbs play
a didactic role, as they play a universal role in teaching wisdom and sagacity
to the common people. Since proverbs are usually metaphorical and indirect;
therefore, they allow writers to express their message in a less harsh way.
B. Examples
of Proverbs in Literature
Example 1 :
From William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
“The weakest goes to the wall.”The weak people are never favored.
“He that is strucken blind cannot forget
The precious treasure of his eyesight lost.”
A man who loses his eyesight can never forget the importance of lost eyesight.
“One fire burns out another’s burning,
One pain is lessen’d by another’s anguish.”
You can burn new fire from lightening another fire, similarly a new pain could mitigate your old pain.
Example 2 :
From The Bible
“The fear of the LORD is the
beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (1:7)Wise men always fear the Lord, while fools do not like wisdom and guidance.
“Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” (30:5)
Saying of the God are never flawed, He protect them who ask for His help and follows His path.
“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” (16:3)
Do
your efforts then put faith in Lord for the results, for He knows better and give
you reward accordingly.
C. Proverbs
Throughout the World
African Proverbs
Across the
vast continent of Africa, many African nations disseminated proverbs that were
meant to educate and inspire those who used them.
Here are a
few examples of African proverbs :
a) “A tree is known by its fruit” – (of Zulu
origin - this means that success is shown by the deeds.)
b) “I have been bitten by a tsetse fly” – (of
Tanzanian origin – this means that a person will continuously be a pest until
you pay off a debt.)
c) “The word of friend makes you cry – the word
of an enemy makes you laugh” – (of Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, and
Niger – this means that a friend will tell you the truth and sometimes the
truth hurts, whereas an enemy will only lead you down the wrong path by giving
you advice that seems good but is not.)
Asian Proverbs
Some examples
of Asian proverbs include the following :
a) “The old horse in the stable still yearns to
run” – (this means that those who are older still have things they would like
to accomplish.)
b) “A spark can start a fire that burns the
entire prairie” – (this means that a small problem can snowball into a huge
problem that can cause major damage.)
c) “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a
day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” – (this means that
teaching people is better in the long run because it gives them the skills to
provide for themselves as opposed to you doing things for them.)
American Proverbs
Some
examples of American based proverbs include :
a) "Absence makes the heart grow fonder” –
(this means that when you separate from someone that you love by putting
distance between you that you will inevitably love them more and yearn to see
them.)
b) "All that glitters is not gold” – (this
means that just because something looks good, does not necessarily mean that it
is good.)
c) "A monkey in silk is a monkey no less” –
(this means that just because someone dresses fancy does not necessarily mean
that they are fancy or of good character.)
English Proverbs
Some
examples of English proverbs include :
a)
Early
to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
b)
It’s no
use locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.
c)
Laugh
and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone.
d)
See a
pin and pick it up, all the day you’ll have good luck; see a pin and let it
lie, bad luck you’ll have all day.
e)
‘Tis
better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.
f)
Monday’s
child is fair of face/Tuesday’s child is full of grace,/Wednesday’s child is
full of woe,/Thursday’s child has far to go,/Friday’s child is loving and
giving,/Saturday’s child works hard for its living/And a child that’s born on
the Sabbath day/Is fair and wise and good and gay.
Proverbs from Other Countries
a) Arabic Proverb: An army of sheep led by a
lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.
b) Finnish proverb: Even a small star shines in
the darkness.
c) Italian Proverb: After the game, the king and
pawn go into the same box.
d) Jewish Proverb: God could not be everywhere
and therefore he made mothers.
e) Russian Proverb: Better to stumble than make
a slip of the tongue.
f) Spanish Proverb: Since we cannot get what we
like, let us like what we can get.
D. Role of Proverbs in Society
Proverbs play many roles in society. The first, possibly, most common role that a proverb plays is to educate. Most often tossed around as expert advice in conversation, the innate role to educate people on what might happen if they do something. Think of a proverb as a little tidbit of wisdom that just about everyone – no matter where they are from – can offer. There is a proverb for just about every circumstance, and proverbs can be applied to any situation.
English and American proverbs are almost second nature
when delivered. The origins are quite often little known, yet the expressions
are popular. Ethnic proverbs, on the other hand, may be a little deeper to
digest, and require non-natives of the proverb’s country of origin, to think
about the meaning in order to better understand how it applies to their lives.
A proverb (from Latin: proverbium) is a simple and concrete saying, popularly known and repeated,
that expresses a truth based on common sense or experience. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes
a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim. Proverbs fall into the category
of formulaic language.
Proverbs are often borrowed from
similar languages and cultures, and sometimes come down to the present through
more than one language. Both the Bible (including, but not limited to the Book of Proverbs) and medieval Latin
(aided by the work of Erasmus)
have played a considerable role in distributing proverbs across Europe. Mieder
has concluded that cultures that treat the Bible as their "major spiritual
book contain between three hundred and five hundred proverbs that stem from the
Bible." However, almost every culture has
examples of its own unique proverbs.
Examples
:
a)
Haste makes waste
b)
A stitch in time saves nine
c)
Ignorance is bliss
d)
Mustn't cry over spilled milk.
e)
You can catch more flies with honey than you can with
vinegar.
f)
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him
drink.
g)
Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
h)
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
i)
Fortune favours the bold
j)
Well begun is half done.
References :
http://literarydevices.net/proverb/
http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-proverbs.html
http://www.yourdictionary.com/proverb
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proverb
what is the advantage to wear a proverb in a poem?
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