Expansion of Proverbs
Proverbs:
A Proverb is a
well-known saying that conveys a general truth or that offers advice on life
and behaviour, for example: ‘Honesty is the best policy’, ‘All that glitters is
not gold’. Proverbs are simple in form, yet packed with meaning. Though they consist of short sentences, they
contain a lot of wisdom. Proverbs often make use of metaphors to convey their meaning. (Metaphors are comparisons made between two
dissimilar things without using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’ to show that one of
hem has some quality of the other). Another feature of proverbial sayings is
irony, or the use of words to convey meanings that are the opposite of what
they usually mean.
Expansion
of Proverbs: Expansion
of proverbs is a meaningful writing task.
It involves understanding the meaning of a proverb, what it implies and
how it relates to the present time. To
expand a proverb, you will have to explain its meaning and elaborate on its
significance by using reasoning and giving examples from real life to convey
its truth and wisdom clearly to the reader. A good para written for expansion
must have 1) unity of thought; (2) order; (3) coherence; (4) variety and (5)
Expansion.
Some
guidelines for expansion of proverbs:
- In the first instance, read the
given proverb. Think about the proverb and understand its meaning,
significance and implications.
- Think of one or two examples
from real life, from books you have read and films you have watched or
from other sources.
- Arrange your thoughts in the
logical sequence and write the piece, using simple language and keeping to
the usually allowed one-page limit.
- Make the opening and conclusion
interesting and impressive.
Some
examples of Expansion of Proverbs:
- All that
glitters is not gold.
- Make hay while
the Sun shines
- Honesty is the
best policy
- A stitch in
time saves nine.
- Haste makes
waste (or) Slow and steady wins the race.
- Necessity is
the mother of invention.
- Haste makes waste (or) Slow and
steady wins the race.
When we do any work, we should be
very careful. We should not be in a haste/ hurry. We should work slowly and
steadily to get better result. For
example, while climbing a tall tree or a hill, we should be very careful. Any
small negligence or haste will make us slip and fall down. The story of ‘hare
and tortoise’ we learnt in our childhood teaches a very good lesson in this
regard. In the story, the tortoise walks
slowly and steadily. It wins the race with confidence. Whereas the hasty but
lazy hare finally loses the race with its over-confidence. Similarly, the
student who reads regularly from the beginning can easily pass the examination
and get good marks. But the student who
reads hastily just before the examinations, may fail. Hence, in every walk of
life, to reach our goals, we should make our efforts continuously and
carefully.
- Strike while the iron is hot.
(Or) Make hay while the sun shines
(Means = Utilise the opportunity when
it comes on your way) (Hay = dried grass)
The
proverb tells us that when an opportunity comes in our way, we should make use
of it without wasting time. Hay means dried grass like straw. It has to be stored for the cattle. We have
to dry the grass and make the hay while the Sun is shining to store it for the
future. Once we lose the opportunity, we cannot dry the grass in the winter or
rainy season. In the same way, when the iron is hot only, we can bend it into
any shape by striking on it. If it is cooled, we cannot bend it. These examples
tell us that we must make use of a good opportunity when it knocks our door. If
we miss it, we cannot get the same opportunity back. We have to observe the bees which store the
honey for future and the ants which gather their food for future and like
that. During the school days or college
days, the student has to pay attention to his studies and do hard work. If he
neglects his studies during this period, he will not get better results and
will not get another opportunity to prove his worth. So, we must make use of the available time and
opportunities well and do the right thing at the proper time.
- Honesty
is the best policy:
Honesty
means being truthful and fair in thought, speech and action. The lives of great men across the world like
Mahatma Gandhi, Jesus Christ, Abraham Lincoln, etc., prove that their greatness
was due to their honest nature. History tells us that honest people are always
respected. In the modern age also people like Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Anna Hazare,
etc., are honored for their honesty and not for their wealth and power. However
rich and wealthy they may be, people do not honor dishonest men. Honesty gives
courage to face any difficulties. Hence, honest people can achieve any great
things in their lives in straight and fair manner. On the other way, dishonest
people are cowards. They always want to achieve some thing with unfair means or
corrupt methods. Ultimately, they fail in life. Though a dishonest student
manages to get marks by copying, he will not succeed in life. An honest person
is remembered even after his death. A dishonest person is hated even during his
life-time. Hence, honesty is the most important policy one has to follow
through his entire life.
- All
that glitters is not gold (or) Appearances are deceptive:
Generally,
people give value to the external appearances. But the external appearance
cannot be always reliable. For example, Gold is a precious metal and it shines
brightly. But, just because some other metals also shine, they cannot be as
valuable as gold. That is, all that glitters is not gold. People get deceived
by the outward appearances. A person who appears very innocent may prove
cruel. A dress which appears very costly
because of its over shining may actually be a cheap one. Hence, we must try to know the inner quality
of a person or a thing to assess his/ its value. We must not fall in the trap of external
attraction.
- A
Stitch in time saves nine:
This
proverb tells us the importance of being careful at the right time. When we observe any defect or mistake in
anything, we must try to correct/ repair it in the initial stage itself.
Otherwise, the problem becomes bigger and unsolvable. By being careful in small things, we can
avoid major dangers. For example, if a
cloth is torn little, we must immediately attend to it and stitch it. Otherwise, the tear of the cloth becomes
bigger and cannot be repaired. Any symptoms related to ill-health or disease
should be attended carefully. Otherwise, the diseases may aggrevate and take
life itself. Similarly, if a child or a student finds any defect, some bad
qualities, he should correct them
immediately, otherwise it will be difficult to get rid of the bad
qualities at later period.
- Necessity
is the mother of invention:
The
proverb tells us that the need of a thing forces us to think actively. Solutions
for problems can be found out if only we use our brains. But we use then only
when there is need. This results in the
invention of a new thing. Most of the
scientific inventions in human history are answers to some pressing need. Primitive man’s need for food forced him to
shape weapons for hunting. His need and wish to travel extensively across the
world resulted in invention of steam boat and later electric motor. Most medicines are the results of the need
for the cure to fatal diseases. Thus necessity is the mother of invention.
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