Meaning & Analysis
The proverb is a simile that directly compares a person's character to a dove, asserting that they are completely harmless, gentle, and without any malicious intent.
Insights
Purity and Virtue
The dove serves as a powerful metaphor for moral and spiritual purity. To be 'as a dove' is to be uncorrupted by malice, deceit, or evil, representing an ideal state of virtue and gentleness.
Peace and Non-aggression
The proverb evokes the concept of peace and non-aggression. The dove is a classic symbol of peace, so the comparison suggests a nature that is not only free from harm but actively inclined towards peace and reconciliation.
Vulnerability and Naivety
While celebrating innocence, the proverb also subtly implies a state of vulnerability and naivety. A creature that is entirely 'harmless' may be unprepared for a world that is not, highlighting the potential danger of lacking guile or self-preservation instincts.
Biblical and Moral Duality
The proverb's meaning is deeply rooted in its biblical origin (Matthew 10:16), where Christ advises followers to be 'wise as serpents, and harmless as doves'. This creates a powerful juxtaposition, suggesting that true virtue requires a balance between worldly shrewdness and spiritual purity. The proverb isolates the dove, emphasizing a state of guileless purity.
Cultural and Literary Symbolism
The dove is a universal symbol of peace and the Holy Spirit in Christian iconography, tracing back to the story of Noah's Ark. Shakespeare reinforces this image of defenseless purity in 'Henry VI' by pairing the 'harmless dove' with a 'sucking lamb', amplifying its association with untainted innocence.
Psychological Insight
The proverb highlights a cultural idealization of innocence. However, by omitting the 'serpent's wisdom', it also implicitly points to the vulnerability of pure innocence. It suggests a psychological tension between the ideal of being harmless and the practical necessity of being aware of the world's dangers.
Rhetorical Devices
Simile
The proverb's structure is a direct simile ('as...as'), which makes the comparison between the subject and the dove explicit and easily understandable.
Symbolism
The power of the proverb comes from the deep cultural and religious symbolism of the dove, which universally represents peace, purity, and gentleness.
Biblical Allusion
The phrase is a direct allusion to a well-known biblical passage, which lends it an air of authority and timeless moral weight.
Transcription
Quotations
Innocent as doves, yet wilie as serpents.
Doves are harmelesse.
For as our saviour doth advise us to be as wise as Serpents, so doth he also advise us to be as innocent as Doves.
Bible Citations
Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Shakespeare Citations
As innocent . . As is the sucking lamb or harmless dove.
Cross References
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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