A marked wooden ruler leans beside a small worn brown lace-up shoe on wooden floorboards.

Original artwork, not a still

George Herbert

One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The proverb places a father's influence above that of many teachers. Its large comparison stresses how much close guidance can matter. It praises the force of that bond rather than offering a literal measure of teaching.

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