A proverb is a brilliant reflection of folk wisdom

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The first manifestation of folk wisdom was reflected and carried through the centuries by proverbs and sayings. In them, as in grain, is the culture of the great Russian soul. Probably, it was for this reason that all great people reverently treated the wisdom and visual power of proverbs.

Reflecting the impact of proverbs on the work of great writers

Thematic diversity of proverbs is not their main, although very important, advantage. Much more significant is how they express everyday life, from what side they characterize it. At one time, Nikolai Gogol, captivated by the global meaning of folk sayings, noted their subtlest way of expression. The writer admired the way people's attitude was reflected through sayings: with irony, ridicule, reproaches - everything that stirs and touches the living. A saying is an all-consuming passionate interest in everything related to the diverse life of a Russian person.

Mikhail S altykov-Shchedrin also used the picturesque power of proverbs and sayings. If you open some of his works, you can find folk sayings interspersed in the text, which the writer characterized his heroes.

Ivan Krylov, Leo Tolstoy, Alexander Griboyedov… The creative heritage of these “pillars” of literature also testifies to the great worship of the we alth of Russian folklore. Or take, for example, Alexander Pushkin. His works, where he used and conveyed such a kind of folk wisdom as a saying in verse, is a unique combination of high poetry with original folk art.

But not only the classics of Russian literature resorted to using the age-old wisdom of their ancestors. The popular modern writer Boris Akunin endows his characters with high intelligence and a subtle knowledge of Russian folklore. In their mouths, the saying is the voice of the people.

The eloquent language of proverbs and sayings

The splendor and accuracy of proverbs reflect the high morality of our ancestors. “Life is given for good deeds”, “Gold shines in the mud”, “To have a friend - do not feel sorry for yourself”. Just a few examples, but each contains we alth and purity of souls and thoughts.

There are examples with a predominantly direct meaning: "Keep the secret word in your mouth", "Bread will not be born if you do not work in the field." Each of them can be used both directly and figuratively. On the one hand, this is a confirmation of the importance of diligence and its results, on the other hand, it is a condemnation of laziness and idleness. As for the saying about the secret word, there is a direct indication of the importance of keeping the secret of one's main actions or deeds.

Figurative and stylistic characterproverbs

Insignificant, at first glance, the replacement of words in expressions significantly changes their meaning. Proverb and saying are the most accurate examples of such statements. As an example - two versions of the proverb about the eagle and the falcon. “The king of birds is an eagle, but is afraid of a falcon” - has a shade of light dependence of one feathered predator on another. By changing the second part to “a falcon is afraid”, you can radically change the meaning of the expression as a whole. In this version, the proverb has a decisive character of the statement, who is really stronger. The concessive meaning is completely eliminated and the word “falcon” falls under the logical stress.

Private figurative and stylistic use must be able to distinguish from the general, in which the proverbial judgment acquires independence, semantic and artistic new formation. Proverbs and sayings are a vivid example of the richness of speech in general and a single word in particular.

Sayings for children as a method of learning

Folk art is of great importance in the upbringing of the younger generation. Without a deep knowledge of the national culture, it will hardly be possible to preserve the originality of the original Russian character in the future. Sayings for children are used as an example of the versatility of the talent of ancestors.

For the most part, these are expressions about the seasons, about nature, about animals. On sayings, children develop the definition of good and evil, courage and cowardice, truth and lies. The most famous and most frequently used is “Without labor, one cannotpull the fish out of the pond. More than one generation grew up on it.

Jokes are a special kind of proverbial judgments

Joking scenes transmitted in the form of short dialogues: “Titus, go thresh. - My belly hurts. - Titus, go eat jelly. “Where is my big spoon?” - most accurately convey the attitude of a person to the kind of activity that is kind to him or objectionable for various reasons. From jokes it is clear that they have all the properties of real proverbs. They are inseparable from the associative application to objects that are only remotely related to them by a direct meaning. Hungry for jelly, Titus can serve as a condemning example in speech when characterizing other manifestations of laziness and pretense. The saying is ironic in the highest degree.

Proverbs-jokes significantly complement the usual types of proverbs and characterize folk speech from a very important side. They reflect the playfulness and irony of the mindset of the people - the highest expression of mature thinking.