Aphorism Ms Tocco 91514 English 10 Poor Richards

Aphorism Ms. Tocco 9/15/14 English 10

“Poor Richard’s Almanack” • As we learned, Benjamin Franklin created a fictitious character- Poor Richard who “wrote” “Poor Richard’s Almanack”. An Almanack is a piece of writing that calculates the tides, phases of the moon, forecasted the weather for the next year and even provided astrological advice. They usually had recipes, jokes and aphorisms.

Aphorism • An Aphorism is a short, witty saying that offers a significant truth about life. • Franklin provided many aphorisms in his almanack, which helped to show his more humorous side.

Aphorism Examples Shape up or ship out. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift. Seatbelts aren’t as confining as wheelchairs. Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils. • The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them. • •

Your task… • Your table will be given two aphorisms from “Poor Richard’s Almanack”. You must do the following: 1) Paraphrase them both (put them into your own words) 2) Explain how they are relevant today See my example for “shape up or ship out”

Shape up or ship out example Name(s) Date Class Hour Shape up or ship out As a group, we paraphrased the aphorism “Shape up or ship out” as follows: Get yourself together or leave. We find this aphorism to be relevant in today's world because there are many times when you are expected to perform to your best ability or you aren’t welcome. For example, in a working environment you should always do what is expected of you. If you start to disregard the rules and expectations you have a chance of being fired. *Please write in complete sentences, make sure your aphorism is clearly labeled and evident. Remember- first paraphrase it and then write its relevance. This is due at the end of the hour or first thing tomorrow in class