Proverbs

This post is for JUNIORS only.

A proverb can be defined as "a short, popular saying that expresses effectively a commonplace truth. Ishmael Beah states a proverb in the book:

"We must strive to be like the moon" (Beah 16).

Beah goes on to explain what the proverb means:


“We must strive to be like the moon.' An old man in Kabati repeated this sentence often... the adage served to remind people to always be on their best behavior and to be good to others. [S]he said that people complain when there is too much sun and it gets unbearably hot, and also when it rains too much or when it is cold. But, no one grumbles when the moon shines. Everyone becomes happy and appreciates the moon in their own special way. Children watch their shadows and play in its light, people gather at the square to tell stories and dance through the night. A lot of happy things happen when the moon shines. These are some of the reasons why we should want to be like the moon" (Beah 16).

Here are a few English proverbs:

• "Let sleeping dogs lie."
• "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
• "Actions speak louder than words."
• "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
• "Justice delayed is justice denied."

And here are a few more from Africa:

• "A champion bull starts from birth."
• "A tree not taller than an ant cannot shade you."
• "A dog knows the places he is thrown food."
• "Water cannot be forced uphill."

Notice how most of these are figurative in nature. In other words, the proverb is "a champion bull starts from birth." The proverb is not "great athletes start practicing when they are young." There is a degree of poetry in most of these. A degree of metaphoric language. For example, one way to write a proverb would be to say:

"You need to help yourself when times are tough."

A better way, though, would be:

"A turtle on its back will cook in the sun."

Your task? Write a concise, one sentence proverb of your own. Then, like Beah does with his moon proverb, explain both its meaning and its implications in a thoughtful, thorough paragraph.


Hint: Try your best to be figurative and poetic. Consider writing about the weather, animals, geography, calendars, clocks, athletic events, jewelry, food, etc.