Name______Mrs. Zupo

Understanding Aphorisms

Ben Franklin is one of the most quoted men in America. Why?

Be like Ben. Be wise.

Choose at least one of the following questions and write a response:

  • If you could tell your 5 year old self a lesson/wisdom about life, what would it be? (What do you wish you’d known then that you know now?)

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  • If you had one wisdom to bestow to the world, what would it be?

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  • What’s the best advice you ever received?

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So, what is an Aphorism? It is a short, concise statement expressing a wise or clever observation/truth that is universal in application.

Most of Franklin’s aphorisms are adapted from traditional or folk sayings, known as proverbs. Franklin, who believed that clarity and brevity were two of the most important characteristics of good prose, rewrote many proverbs, crafting short, witty sayings that taught a lesson.

Proverbs are nearly as old as language itself and exist in all societies. They reflect each culture’s view of the world, conveying feelings about fate, the seasons, the natural world, work and effort, love, death, and other universal experiences. These memorable bits of wisdom have survived for centuries, perhaps because they reflect unchanging truths about human nature.

Look at the definition of an aphorism (again); if you could only use three words to define aphorism, what would they be? Circle them.

Directions:Read a few of Franklin’s aphorisms below; paraphrase their intended meanings.

  1. “Fish and visitors smell in three days.”

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  1. “Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead.”

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3. “Write injuries in dust, benefits in marble.”

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4. “The cat in gloves catches no mice.”

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Franklin believed that clarity and brevity were two of the most important characteristics of good writing. Read the following passages, which are far from clear and brief, and match the aphorism listed below that best expresses the same idea.

A - A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over.

B - A small leak will sink a great ship.

C - Love your neighbor, yet don’t pull down your hedge.

D - He that lives on hope will die fasting.

E - The rotten apple spoils the crop.

1._____ Some people expect that the best is bound to happen and that problems will just go away. Such people do little or nothing to make the good happen or to solve their problems. Usually, however, their expectations are not met, and they end up without anything good or even worse problems.

2._____ It requires the work of many people to construct a large, complicated object. Once completed, such an object seems very powerful. Yet even a minor flaw can ruin the object.

3._____ When farmers gather their crops, they are careful to cull out those that are spoiled or marred because when the crops are stored, these flaws could spread to the healthy specimens with which they come into contact.

4._____ It is wise to cultivate the friendship of those who live near you – you never know when you may have to help them or they may be able to help you. On the other hand, you don’t want to get too close to them or they may be forever interfering in your life.

5._____ We human beings are frail; we can suffer all kinds of accidents that will leave us bruised and broken. But bruises go away and bones heal. On the other hand, if we accidently say the wrong things, we can end up in a great deal of trouble. Others may never forgive us, we may lose friends or gain enemies, we may be thought foolish, etc.

Not every wise/clever observation is an aphorism. It must have a UNIVERSAL quality.

Read the statements below, and determine whether each statement qualifies as an aphorism. Write “yes” or “no” on the line. Be prepared to defend your answer.

  1. _____ A common murderer, or highwayman, or a housebreaker has as good a pretense as the king of Britain.
  1. _____ Better have too much force than too little, when so great an object is at stake.
  1. _____ Not a man lives on this continent but fully believes that a separation must…finally take place.
  1. _____ ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink.
  1. _____ I love the man that can smile at trouble; that can gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection.

Be Like Ben. Be Wise

Directions: Write your own aphorism. Return to your original activity where you responded to one (or more) of the following questions:

  • If you could tell your 5 year old self a lesson/wisdom about life, what would it be? (What do you wish you’d known then that you know now?)
  • If you had one wisdom to bestow to the world, what would it be?
  • What’s the best advice you ever received?

1. Restate your wisdom here:

Next, since aphorisms are universal in application, you might need to expand your wisdom from specific to general.

For example: The long of it! When I was in college, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be an elementary teacher, a math teacher, or an English teacher. My advisor gave me some great advice; he told me to keep all of my options open for as long as I could.

Condense it!Take as many college classes/electives as you can, for as long as you can, to keep your options open.

EXPANDit. Move it from specific touniversal: Do not limit your options/opportunities.

2. Rewrite your wisdom (if needed) to expand it from specific to universal.

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Make it “BENish”!Craft your words carefully to write a concise and witty statement that captures your universal wisdom. You may want to employ one or more of the following:

  • use a comparison (metaphor/simile);
  • show a contrast (use “but”);
  • use a sound device (alliteration, rhyme, parallelism)

For example Do not limit your options/opportunities.

Ride all your horses until you have to release the reins.

3. Craft your aphorism. (You must keep it under 15 words.)

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4. Transfer your final aphorism to a 5X8 index card, and fancy it up by drawing a picture that goes with your wisdom/truth; color it for visual appeal. Your pretty, profound wisdoms will be displayed for all to enjoy. (Make sure it is uniquely YOURS. Copied wisdoms get zero for grades.)