Proverb and Riddle A.
Proverb
1.
Definition of Proverb
Proverb is a brief, simple and popular saying, or a phrase that gives advice and effectively embodies a commonplace truth based on practical experience or common sense. A proverb may have an allegorical message behind its odd appearance. The reason of popularity is due to its usage in spoken language as well as in the folk literature. Some authors twist and bend proverbs and create anti-proverbs to add literary effects to their works. However, in poetry, poets use proverbs strategically by employing some parts of them in poems’ titles such as Lord Kennet has written a poem, A poem, A Bird in the Bush, Bush, which is a popular proverb. Some poems contain multiple proverbs like Paul Muldoon’s poem Symposium. poem Symposium. 2.
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. 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. 3. 1.
Kinds of Proverbs: Aphorism (Pepatah)
This proverb offers advice. Example : Don’t go too far in small. ( Persoalan Persoalan kecil jangan dibesar-besarkan). dibesar-besarkan). 2. Parable (Perumpamaan) That has a moral lesson and has parable. Example : To carry coals to New-castle. ( Bagai Bagai membuang garam kelaut )
3. Slogan (Pameo) This proverb gives spirit or motivation. Example : 1.
Early bird gets worm
(Tuhan akan memberikan rezeki kepada makhluk-Nya yang lebih dulu bangun) 2.
Diligence is the mistress of success.
( Kerajinan pangkal kesuksesan) 4. Idiom It is a phrase that has group of words with a different meaning from the meaning of all the individual word. Example : 1.
Pull your sock up. (improve your behaviour)
2.
You can arrange your bedroom at will. (sesuka hati)
3. Don’t mention it. (You’re welcome) 4.
Examples of Proverbs from Literature
Example 1
From Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart : “If a child washes his hands he could eat with kings.” If you remove the dirt of your ancestors, you can have a better future. Everyone can build his/her own fame. “A toad does not run in the daytime for nothing.” Everything happens for a reason and for something not for nothingness. “A child’s fingers are not scalded by a piece of hot yam which its mother puts into its palm.” Children who obey their mothers are not punished. Example 2
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 3
From Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory “And when we love our sin then we are damned indeed.” When do not repent our sins and instead loving them, and then we are damned. “ Nothing in life was as ugly as death.” Death is the most horrible experience in life. “There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in…We should be thankful we cannot see the horrors and degradations lying around our childhood, in cupboards and bookshelves, everywhere.” Childhood is a blessing for us, as we do not face horrible experiences like humiliation and degradation from people. Example 4
From Aesop Fables by Aesop: We should make sure that our own house is in order before we give advice to others. ( Fortune Teller ) We should act upon our own words, before advising others to do the same.
B. Riddle 1.
Definition of Riddle
Riddle is a question, a puzzle, a phrase or a statement devised to get unexpected or clever answers. It is a folklore genre as well as rhetorical device, having often veiled or double meanings. When someone uses it as a puzzle or a question, it could be a thought provoking challenge for the audience to figure it out themselves, or it could be a funny comment intended to make the audience laugh. Some riddles show the wit of protagonists in a narrative, allowing them to escape a terrible situation by using their wit rather than their strength. Often times, puzzling riddles tell us that we cannot answer some questions, leading to hours of perturbed head scratching. However, it opens our minds to a number of possibilities. 2.
Function of Riddle
In written literature, riddles deceive the audience with its meanings. As far as its purpose is concerned, it explores questions with enough thoroughness in order to provide readers a clear view of major issues. Riddles could be generally conversational starters or brain busters to get readers think, while in oral literature, riddles serve as the competition of wits and skills and guessing games. However, if the audience knows the answer they take pleasure in hearing them repeatedly. Gaming riddles reveal the playful side of language in a manageable form. Besides, it is usually possible to draw appropriate metaphors from good riddles. 3.
Types of Riddle
There are two main types of riddle:
Enigmas
Enigmas are problems expressed in an allegorical or metaphorical language, requiring careful thinking and ingenuity for solving them.
Conundrums
Conundrums are questions that rely on punning for creating effects in a question.
4. Common & Popular Examples of Riddle
It is so fragile that if you say its name you b reak it, what is it? It is silence.
I have a head, I have a tail, but I do not have a body. I am neither a lizard nor a snake.
Then, guess what am I? It is a coin.
It can run and does not walk, has a mouth and does not talk, has a head and does not
weep, has a bed and does not sleep? It is a river.
Something that falls, and never breaks and something breaks but never falls? The day
breaks and the night falls.
My father is white but I am black, I am a bird without wings, fly to the clouds. I give
tears of mourning in those who encounter me, however, there is no reason for mourning because once I am born I am dissolved into air. Now can you guess who am I? It is smoke. 5.
Riddle Examples from Literature
Example 1
From Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex One of the most popular riddles in literature is the riddle of Sphinx, who asks questions from Oedipus. Riddle: “What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?” Answer: Oedipus solves this riddle by giving right answer that it is man, who can crawl on his four legs as an infant, and as an adult, he walks on his two legs, while he walks with a stick when he becomes old. Example 2
From J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit Bilbo and Gollum play a riddling game, as Bilbo’s life would be in danger if cannot solve the riddle. Luckily, he answers the riddle posed by Gollum. Thus, Bilbo earns an award as to get a safe passage out of the tunnel. Riddle: “This thing all things devours; Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel; Grinds hard stones to meal; Slays king, ruins town, And beats mountain down.” Answer: Time Example 3
From William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice The father of Portia plans a riddle for the men who wish to marry his daughter and whoever would solve it, would marry her. For doing this, he places three caskets of gold, silver and leaden and asks them to pick the one of their choice. Riddle: The golden casket inscribes, “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.” The words engrave on silver: “who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.” The leaden: “Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.” Answer: The golden casket encloses a skull with a warning note that appearances are usually deceiving, human wishes could be dangerous, the silver casket symbolizes chasing intangible goals, and holds a portrait of an idiot. However, the leaden casket symbolizes modesty and inner beauty, with a portrait of Portia contains a note, “You that choose not by the view, chance as fair and choose as true.” Example 4
From Jane Austen’s Emma Emma displays her wit while correctly answering Mr. Elton’s riddle. Riddle: “My first displays the wealth and pomp of k ings, Lords of the earth! their luxury and ease. Another view of man, my second brings, Behold him there, the monarch of the seas!” Answer: Courtship
Example 5
From J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire During his competition in Tri-Wizard Tournament, it was must for Harry to answer a riddle posed by a Sphinx: Riddle: “First think of the person who lives in disguise, Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies, Next tell me what’s always the last thing to mend, The middle of middle and end of the end?… Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?” Answer: A spider.
PROVERB and RIDDLE
OLEH Nama : Adha Ika Putri Nabila Kelas : X MIPA 6 Absen : 01
SMA NEGERI 1 PRAYA 2016/2017
KATA PENGANTAR
Puji syukur kita panjatkan kehadirat Allah SWT. karena dengan rahmat dan karunia-Nya penulis dapat menyelesaikan tugas pembuatan makalah Mata Pelajaran Bahasa dan Sastra Inggris Lintas Minat tentang PROVERB AND RIDDLE ini tepat pada waktunya. Makalah ini penulis susun guna memahami tentang proverb dan juga riddle. Makalah ini telah penulis susun dengan maksimal, yang tentunya hal itu tak lepas dari bantuan berbagai pihak. Untuk itu penulis ingin mengucapkan rasa terima kasih kepada semua pihak, terutama kepada Ibu Maimunah selaku guru pembimbing Mata Pelajaran Bahasa dan Sastra Inggris Lintas Minat, yang telah membantu memperlancar penulisan dan penyusunan makalah ini. Terlepas dari itu semua, penulis sadar bahwa makalah ini masih jauh dari kata sempurna. Oleh karenanya penulis dengan senang hati menerima kritik dan saran yang bersifat membangun sehingga penulis dapat memperbaiki makalah ini dan membuat makalah yang lebih baik lagi di lain kesempatan.
Praya, 28 Mei 2017
Penulis
