Text styles, part 1: What is an aphorism?

This article is the first in a new, irregular series in which I will explore the genres of fiction. The shortest of the genres, and the first in the alphabet, is the aphorism.

The Language Office Dictionary defines an aphorism as a thought, a reflection, or a maxim. The definition is concise and, on the surface, clear, but it doesn’t really tell us much and ends up sounding a bit trite—just like many aphorisms, of course. (I’m thinking here specifically of the “Live, laugh, love” type of aphorisms that are all over social media posts and decorative pillows.)

Aphorist, former president of the Finnish Aphorism Society, explains it better. "A good aphorism is more than what the words convey or the sentence says. A good aphorism has content that unfolds to the reader as a multifaceted message, thought, or image," Minka characterizes.

The appeal of aphorisms is their diversity

"Aphorisms are often thought of as a proverbial type of critical text, and that's what they used to be, but nowadays there are many different kinds of aphorisms: poetic, soft, political, about the world and about nature," Minka says.

The Language Center at the University of Jyväskylä defines an aphorism as the literary equivalent of a folk proverb or saying. An aphorism containing general wisdom about life is, in turn, a maxim. An aphorism differs from a poem in its prose form: an aphorism is not divided into lines. A prose poem, on the other hand, is clearly longer than an aphorism.

Minkan brought to aphorisms his own quality as a writer. The texts became shorter and shorter until they were only one sentence long. Aphorisms. 

Take a journey into the world of aphorisms

Diversity means there's an aphorism for everyone, and a style you like. Short, snappy aphorisms are also great for busy readers - you could start each morning with an aphorism, for example! 

Minka Heino compares a collection of aphorisms to a quality box of chocolates.

"They are not devoured, but digested in the mouth one by one. Sometimes they open immediately, sometimes it takes days."

For those new to aphorisms, Minka recommends the book Tiheiden ajatusten (edited by Sami Feiring, Book by Book 2011), which presents the work of hundreds of Finnish aphorists. It gives you a general idea of the kind of aphorisms you might like.

You should also check out the winning entries from the Mirkka Rekola Competition organized by the Finnish Aphorism Society. The competition was held for the first time in 2021, and in 2022, for example, Titta Kurki’s aphorism collection *Mielenväänteitä ja hajakokoja* (Aurinko Kustannus 2022) was selected as the winner. 

The feeling does not lighten, even if it crumbles piece by piece.
- Titta Kurki, Mental waves and scattered sizes

The first time the prize was awarded was in 2017, when Manne Tuomenoksa won with his work Kaipauksen gramaa (Into 2017).

From the collections of foreign aphorists, Minka highlights Ramón Gómez de la Serna's Hevoselle Hevoselle alle meityt ovat drumuja (Into 2018, suom. Arto Rintala) and Stanisław Jerzy Lec's Vastakarvaan (Weilin + Göös 1968, suom. Tuomas Anhava and Ville Repo).

With children and young people, aphorisms can be used as a starting point for Minka's own Surface. Pop! collection (Finnish Aphorism Association 2017.

Write your own aphorism!

And where to start if you want to write an aphorism yourself? Minka Heino offers an aphorism formula, which also served as a stimulus for this year's Aphorisms on Tracks.

1. Write as many words as you can think of on the following topics: water, world, emotions, travel, bottle post, future. Take up to five minutes to think about one word and then move on to the next. Write down all the words, do not censor!

2. Look at the word lists you have compiled and start putting words together to form sentences. Be brave! It has been calculated that the average aphorism contains 5.4 words, so use words sparingly. Try to summarise your message, but forget about explanation. Argue, question, wonder.

3. The finished aphorism may already be the result of the first two steps, but you can continue to develop it with the theme "Bottle mail to the future". You can rotate the words freely, change the word order, change the direction of the thought, substitute words.

If you want, you can send your aphorism to Minka. The Finnish Aphorism Society publishes aphorisms on its Facebook and Instagram accounts and as an aphorism of the week on its website. And if you're lucky, Minka might even give you some tips on how to polish your aphorism!