Buzz
Folk proverbs stand as prominent figures in the realm of folklore literature. They directly portray the soul and emotions of working people. When it comes to the content of folk proverbs, it often spans from daily life activities to human emotions. The artistic features within folk proverbs, from language to structure, artistic techniques, and finally, poetic forms, all bear the quintessential essence of folk culture.
First and foremost, in terms of language, folk proverbs have successfully employed the vernacular. It's a language that's simple, beautiful, and pristine enough to depict the diverse and rich human soul. Within folk proverbs, there's a blend of artistic language with the language of everyday life and colloquial speech.
'This leaf, akin to a cherry blossom leaf,
How do you tenderly call upon it, my dear?'
Due to its utilization of everyday colloquial language, folk proverbs hold strong allure for the working people. It's the beauty of authenticity and simplicity. Hence, folk proverbs easily resonate with people's hearts. Folk proverbs possess artistic value and rich expressive power. The language in folk proverbs is refined and polished based on the vernacular.
'Dim lanterns, flickering under the moonlight,
Who brings forth the precious gem to this place?'
Folk proverbs, being a collective creation, orally transmitted from one generation to another, hence, its language still retains a local essence. Northern folk proverbs are meticulously crafted, using various comparisons and metaphors. Central folk proverbs, on the other hand, embody a sense of freedom, not overly bound by strict rules:
'When you came looking for me, I was already married,
I love you, but is it worth the fervor?'
In folk proverbs, authors often employ numerous personal pronouns, especially in dialogue poems, to express the emotional connection between couples. Sometimes it's 'you - me,' 'us - we,' and at times, it's quite formal, like 'my dear - beloved,'
'My dear, let me ask you honestly,
'Are you still single or have you shared your love with someone else?'
The second characteristic of folk proverbs is their concise structure, often utilizing dialogue and traditional formulas. A concise structure typically comprises only two to four lines of verse (1-2 couplets). Following this is the use of dialogue like 'Now the apricot asks the peach/Has anyone entered the rose garden yet? Apricot asks, peach politely replies/The rose garden is wide open, but no one has entered yet.' With this dialogue, we can imagine an exchange between a man and a woman. The third characteristic is the use of traditional formulas. Numerous words with opening motifs such as 'Dear,' in songs of affection. 'Evening by evening' evokes the time of the evening, a melancholic mood, 'Looking up,' 'Climbing up'... 'inviting each other'...
'Inviting each other down to the shore to catch crabs,
Bringing back sour mangoes to pickle in the forest'
'Inviting each other to see the sights of Sword Lake,
Observing the The Huc Bridge, visiting Ngoc Son Temple'
The third characteristic of folk proverbs lies in the predominantly artistic techniques, especially the use of implicit comparisons. This involves comparisons like A is like B, 'We are like silkworms/ Sharing one leaf, resting in the same room.' Additionally, there's the use of comparative structures to supplement the emphasized object contrasted with another object: 'We are like newly ignited fire/ Like the newly risen moon, like the freshly lit lantern.' Two objects can be compared based on similarities: 'Your love rises like high tide/ My love is like a peach silk ribbon in the fragrant breeze.' The use of comparisons in folk proverbs serves to enhance cognitive value and create highly expressive imagery. Comparisons make the imagery of folk proverbs clearer. Moreover, they help folk proverbs fulfill the expressive function, meaning they express emotions. The second technique is metaphor. Essentially, a metaphor is an implicit comparison where the object of comparison is hidden 'You thought the well was deep, you tied a long rope/ Who knew the well was dry, you lament the lost rope.' Metaphors in folk proverbs enable folk authors to express hidden and difficult-to-say matters while still maintaining simplicity and poetic richness.
In folk proverbs, the most famous and commonly used poetic form is the luc bat form. This poetic form helps individuals express rich and delicate emotional states. The characteristic of this poetic form is very memorable due to its rhyme scheme and rhythm. The rhyme scheme is demonstrated in the last word of the sixth line rhyming with the sixth word of the eighth line, and the last word of the eighth line rhyming with the last word of the sixth line.
'Her wrists are as white as ivory,
Her eyes glance like a dagger.'
Furthermore, there are rules regarding balance and rhythmic breaks. It can follow a 2/2/2 rule, with line 8 being 2/2/2/2. However, the rhythmic breaks in folk proverbs are highly flexible. Additionally, folk proverbs also employ various forms such as prose, alternate seven-six couplets, and mixed forms.
Because of the artistic characteristics of folk proverbs mentioned above, we can see that they have naturally delved into the human soul. They have become valuable spiritual products passed down from generation to generation, preserved in documents. Folk proverbs are indeed a genre of enduring value.
Alongside exemplary essays on the Outstanding Artistic Features of Folk Proverbs, students and teachers can also refer to other exemplary essays such as The Remarkable Artistry of Wife Picking, Analyzing the Artistic Excellence of Nguyen Ai Quoc's Pen in the short story Vi Hanh, Introducing some common artistic techniques found in folk proverbs about love, friendship, Analyze the unique artistic language through the essay Autumn Fishing or many other captivating sample essays. Hopefully, through these essays, you will gain a better understanding of how to write essays analyzing and elucidating artistic elements within various genres.
