Adages Quote by Desiderius Erasmus
“It hardly needs explaining at length, I think, how much authority or beauty is added to style by the timely use of proverbs. In the first place who does not see what dignity they confer on style by their antiquity alone?... And so to interweave adages deftly and appropriately is to make the language as a whole glitter with sparkles from Antiquity, please us with the colours of the art of rhetoric, gleam with jewel-like words of wisdom, and charm us with titbits of wit and humour.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Praise of Folly, 1511
Proverbs enrich style by adding timeless authority and wit, making language sparkle with historic wisdom.
In simple terms: Proverbs give style authority and humor.
Key Takeaway
Use proverbs to strengthen communication.
Themes
language
style
wisdom
humor
Mood
reflective
playful
Type
educational
literary
When to use this quote
- public speaking
- writing
- teaching
- debate
Key Concepts
rhetoric
literary devices
cultural heritage
Questions to Reflect On
- When is a proverb appropriate?
- How does cultural context affect meaning?
A Different Perspective
Overuse can seem pretentious.
![“[In the Royal Society, there] has been, a constant Resolution, to reject all the amplifications, digressions, and swellings of style: to return back to the primitive purity, and shortness, when men deliver'd so many things, almost in an equal number of words. They have exacted from all their…” quote by Thomas Sprat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a68/thomas-sprat-35591_all-things_in-the-royal-society-there-has-been-a-co_1937927.jpg)
