Question 1.
Expand the idea inherent in the following proverbs:
Answer:
1. A Bad Workman Blames his Tools
This proverb is a useful guide in practical life. It has been generally found that an incompetent person always grumbler. If a student does not do well in examination, he/she sometimes takes an easy resort to blame game that the question paper is tough. The person never admits that the preparation has not been up to the mark. On the other side, a sincere and good workman never tries to find excuses for his mediocre or bad performance. He probably thinks grumbling is a confession of his personal weakness.

Difficulties are parts and parcels of our lives and we have to learn to overcome by putting our best foot forward rather than finding fault with others or may be unfavourable situations. It is better to find out the reason for the performance which is not up to the mark. One has to find out the remedy for the shortcomings and need to have the faith on one’s ownself to raise the bar of his execution.

If the tools are bad, they can be mended, not by grumbling but by removing the defects. A good workman does exactly that and does not waste time complaining. Patience and perseverance can fetch definite rewards. Everything is possible to achieve for a sincere worker whereas all things are impossible for a lazy person who is always on the look out for a scapegoat( a person who is punished for things that are not his/her faults) to bear the blame of his own failure.

2. One Should Eat to Live, Not Live to Eat – (Franklin)

We all have heard the proverb “health is wealth”. A sound mind can only exist in a sound body. If we are healthy, we can handle any situation in life. Eating plays a major role in maintaining a person’s health. The eating habits depend on own discretion(the freedom and power to make decisions by yourself) and if we are conscious about the decision where to stop, “this far and no farther”, we can avoid many critical conditions of life with a healthy body. That is the biggest wealth any person can have.

But one needs a strong willpower not to live just to eat. The temptations are spread all around us. Some people have the habit of eating to their heart’s content and consoling themselves saying that it is just one day only. But they are greedy enough to forget their promise easily at the sight of mouth-watering dishes and continue their theory of “living to eat”.

Apparently, to some people, the eating habits do not need to be given so much importance, because they feel that the modern technologies used in the gyms will compensate for the loss of over-eating. Work hard in the gym and you can eat anything, is their motto of life. So, after coming out of the gym, they consume a big mug of cold coffee with cream from a reputed coffee shop and do not feel guilty about it. Not only home-cooked delicious foods, but all sorts of junk foods are included in their list of foods. Food is essential for one’s survival but excess of anything is bad. It is not about restrictions only, it is about how one can balance and enjoy the food.

3. If Winter Comes, Can Spring be Far Behind? – (Shelley)

Think positive and live happy, celebrate life ideally this should be the motto of a person’s life. But how many of us honestly follow this motto? Life, indeed, is beautiful but it does not move in a straight line. There has to be ups and downs and both these ups as well as downs have something to teach us, as P.B. Shelley said, “If winter comes, can spring be far behind?”. These are the natural courses of life. One has to follow the other as one season follows the other.

Life has problems and every problem is bound to have some solutions. if we can try to see the brighter side. “No one makes a lock without a key”. That is why God won’t give you problems without solutions. In God’s own world also, if severe winter creates difficulties, He has kept the spring ready to bring smile on the faces of those who faced the difficult situations bravely. Winter, being the symbol of destruction here, spring will bring with it abundance everywhere.

Our duty is to maintain our patience and wait with hope for welcoming the good days because “At the end of every tunnel, there is light”. Night follows Day, that is also God’s design. If we crumble with the pressure of frustration and make ourselves fatigued, how will we enjoy the brightness of the day or the charming weather of the spring?

4. Beauty is Truth, Truth is Beauty – (Keats)

“Ode on a Grecian Urn”, the immortal poem of the poet John Keats, brings out a fact of life, that has its own beauty where joys and sorrows live together. He shows in the poem, the pictures on the urn has paintings of a combination of happiness and sadness to depict the truth of human life. A work of art has the power to express this truth of life so explicitly(clearly).

“Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder”. The person who is seeing the beauty can interpret it his or her own way, but the truth will remain the same. Truth is the permanent and ultimate beauty in the world and no one has the power to destroy it.

So, to ignore truth will be a futile attempt and only the inward beauty has the power to be the ever-lasting truth and the outward appearances are momentary. But our thoughts want to find out the truth and our feelings are inspired by the beauty. Thus, thought and feeling, truth and beauty need to go hand in hand.

5. Fools Rush in Where Angels Fear to Tread – (Alexander Pope)

“Experience is the best teacher”. The inexperienced people do not judge the pros and cons of the situation and take a step without much thinking. The experienced people become mature enough to take a cautious step before taking a hasty decision. Their experience has taught them to “wait and watch” and then decide whether to avoid or get involved.

“A little learning is a dangerous thing”. The prudent (sensible and careful)and intelligent person think twice before opening their mouth and are also good observers. They are actually “afraid” but they are also careful that their actions should be safe and so they stay away from unnecessary risks. Even if they take risk believing “no risk, no gain”, they are capable of measuring the extent of the risk to reach their final decision. But a so called “fool” or rather an unwise person does not bother to think and can be easily influenced to do stupid things to invite problems in life.

“Ignorance” is not always “bliss”, since ignorance can lead to a irreversible damage. But, if a wise person is ignorant about certain things, he knows how to keep a distance from the unknown territory. The proverb actually tries to create an awareness against quick decisions or may be judgements, because every step of life is important. One wrong step, taken in a hurry, can lead to a major set back which probably will bring the disaster. History stands proof for that.

6.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.

7.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.

8.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.