Epigramisabrief,interesting,memorable,andsometimessurprisingorsatiricalstatement. ThewordisderivedfromtheGreekἐπίγραμμα

Function of Epigram

Epigram is a clever and witty statement expressed in just a few lines, pointing out foibles and truths of mankind. This is very common in poetry, but we also find it in prose, film, fiction writing, politics, and everyday speech. Epigrams serve the same purpose as do maxims and proverbs. However, the main purpose of using such statements is to leave a positive impression on the audience, as they demonstrate pure humor coupled with wisdom. Besides, writers use this literary device to cause listeners and readers to think deeply about their statements.

History of the Epigram Form
The word "epigram" comes from the Greek epigraphein, meaning "to write on, inscribe," and originally referred to the inscriptions written on stone monuments in ancient Greece. The first-century epigrams of the Roman poet Martial became the model for the modern epigram.
The epigram flourished in sixteenth and seventeenth-century England thanks to John Donne, Robert Herrick, Ben Jonson, Alexander Pope, Lord George Byron, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. In France, the poet Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux and the philosopher Voltaire often employed the epigrammatic form. Defining the epigram by example, Coleridge offered the following:
What is an Epigram? A dwarfish whole,
Its body brevity, and wit its soul.
More about the Epigram Form
From A Poet’sGlossary
The following additional definition of the term epigram is reprinted from A Poet's Glossary by Edward Hirsch.
From the Greek epigramma, “to write upon.”Anepigramis a short, wittypoemorpointedsaying. AmbroseBiercedefineditin TheDevil’sDiction­ary (1881–1911) as “a short, sharpsayinginproseandverse.” InHellenisticGreece (thirdcentury B.C.E.), theepigramdevelopedfromaninscriptioncarvedin a stonemonumentorontoanobject, suchas a vase, into a literarygenreinitsownright.Itmayhavedevelopedoutoftheproverb. TheGreekAnthology (tenthcentury, fourteenthcentury) isfilledwithmorethanfifteenhundredepigramsofallsorts, includingpungentlyricsonthepleasuresofwine, women, boys, andsong.
Ernst Robert Curtius writes in European Literature and the Latin Middle Ages (1953): “No poetic form is so favorable to playing with pointed and sur­prising ideas as epigram—for which reason seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Germany called it ‘Sinngedicht.’ This development of the epigram necessarily resulted after the genre ceased to be bound by its original defi­nition (an inscription for the dead, for sacrificial offerings, etc.).” Curtiusrelatestheinterestinepigramstothedevelopmentofthe “conceit” asanaestheticconcept.
An epigram (EHP-ih-gram) is a pithy saying expressed in an amusing way. Epigrams are often, but not exclusively, short satirical poems with an ingenious and witty ending. A person who writes (or recites) epigrams is called an epigrammatist.
The word was first used in English in the mid-15th century and meant “a short poem or verse which has only one subject and finishes by a witty or ingenious turn of thought.” Epigram is derived from the Old French epigramme, which originated from the Latin epigramma, indicating “an inscription.” This evolved from the Greek epigramma, indicating an “inscription (especially in verse) on a tomb, public monument, etc.”
The epigram’s roots are in ancient Greek poetry where they began as poems written on monuments or as offerings at religious sanctuaries. These were sometimes longer than contemporary epigrams and frequently focused on suggesting that readers eat, drink, and enjoy themselves while they can because life is brief.
By the Hellenistic era, these epigrams ended in a satirical twist or humorous punchline, and that element of wit was amplified by the Romans. Romanepigrammatistsdidn’tinscribedepigramsontombsorvotiveofferings. Instead, theywrotethemtobepublishedorgivenasgifts. Epigrammatists like Catullus and Martial emphasized the satirical elements of epigrams, often including a punchline in the last line.
In English literature, the epigram often appears as a couplet within a longer poem, and it can be seen in the sonnets of William Shakespeare, as well as the poems of William Blake, Alexander Pope, and Lord Byron. AmericanpoetEmilyDickinsonoftenusedepigramswithinherpoemsaswell.

While the epigram has a long history as a poetic form, it is commonly found within prose and theatrical works. Novelists, essayists, andplaywrightsfrequentlyrelyupontheconcisewitoftheepigramtoconveytheirideas.

Epigramsvs. Epigraphs
People often confuse the terms epigram and epigraph, which makes sense because the words sound alike and have some overlap in their definitions/usage. In fact, an epigraph can be an epigram in some instances.
An epigraph is a short quotation that opens a work of literature. In a book, it’sgenerallyfoundafterthetitlepageandbeforethebodyofthetextbegins; in a poem, it’sfoundunderthetitlebutabovethefirstlineofthepoem. An epigraph can be prose or poetry, and it’s used to shed additional light on themes explored within the work that follows it.
Epigramsvs. Adages
Epigrams are often confused with adages as well, but they are not the same thing.
An adage is a saying that, over time, is accepted as a general truth. For example, Aesop’s Fables, the classic collection of children’s stories, is full of adages like “Things are not always what they seem,” “Slow and steady wins the race,” and “Appearances are often deceiving.”
Epigramsvs. Aphorisms
An aphorism, like an adage, is a brief and wise statement that expresses a generally accepted truth. However, aphorismsareeverydaysayings, whileadagesareseenaswisdomthat’sbeenpasseddownovermanyyearsofuse. An aphorism, if repeatedly used, can become an adage, but they are not mutually inclusive.
While both adages and aphorisms are short insightful sayings, they lack the wit and cleverness found in epigrams.
Epigramsvs. Paraprosdokians
Paraprosdokians are also confused with epigrams, as they are short figures of speech that take an unexpected twist and often lead to a surprising and humorous ending. Paraprosdokians, however, donotcontainthewisdomassociatedwithepigrams. Instead, they focus more on comedic effect.
The epigram is frequently seen in political speeches, as it’s an effective way to express complicated thoughts to an audience in a way that will catch their attention. For example:
“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” – Winston Churchill
“Little strokes / fell great oaks.” – Benjamin Franklin
“Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.” – John F. Kennedy
“It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
In Hellenistic times, a new literary genre, the epigram, took on a clear form. This genre has a long history. The Greeks have long been very fond of knocking out or scratching out inscriptions on things sacrificed to the gods . Usually things (shields, vases, tripods, tools, etc.) speak in the first person: "I was sacrificed, I was dedicated."
Such inscriptions appeared, apparently, due to the inclination, desire, need of the Greeks to communicate. When you think about this need of theirs, the thought comes to mind that it is not known whether it is correct to call the 20th or 21st century the era of communication. In fact, the telephone, e-mail, the Internet have been invented, the telegraph and the usual mail are not bad yet, but they have not strengthened the ties between man and man. The bonds of neighborhood, kinship and friendship are shattering, bursting, disappearing. The times of societies of true communication are already in the past. These are the times of ancient societies.
Neither Greek nor Latin (as well as Russian, by the way) had the word "monologue". This is a Greek word, but invented later, when the phenomenon of monologue appeared, just as the Greek word for “telephone” was created after the invention of the thing. Ancient societies did not know self-talk, they only knew dialogue, conversation. Talk not with yourself, but with others. First of all, with people.As we know from Menander's comedy "The Grump", travelers on their way to Athens always spoke to even an unfamiliar peasant working by the road (160-165). A man, speaking with trees, stones, the sea, felt that he himself could call the surrounding world into conversation. It seemed to the Greeks that even things wanted to communicate. Therefore, having donated a kithara to the temple of Apollo, the musician rarely left an inscription on a nearby tablet attached:
The oldest known Greek epigram is a verse inscription on a goblet. It reads "I am the cup of Nestor ...". Herodotus says that he saw in one sanctuary and wrote off very ancient epigrams, mentioning mythological times, in which tripods speak. One turns to everyone who sees him: "Amphitrion initiated me, having defeated the teleboys." Another turns to the god of the sanctuary Apollo: "Skei, fist fighter, to you Apollo the far-bearer, / Having gained the top, dedicated me, an incomparable sacrificial gift." As you can see, epigrams began to be written in verse very early.
One of the varieties of epigrams were epitaphs - tombstone inscriptions. They were written in hexameter or elegiac distich. If a person died at sea or a distant land, the memory of him was honored with a cenotaph - an empty grave with an epitaph. In historical times, the authors of certain epitaphs were known. We have already quoted the epitaph of Simonides of Ceos to the Spartans who died in the Thermopylae Gorge. The epitaph of the tragedian Aeschylus, composed for himself, was known:
This epigram is no longer an inscription on a sacrificed thing or on a grave, it can only be presented as an inscription on the margins of a book, as an opinion expressed in a circle of friends when discussing the work of a poetess, or as a respectful and laconic thought in a work on poetry. The epigram gradually becomes the property of literature, but for some time it was not considered a genre worthy of attention: the authors of most of these short works are unknown, their special collections were not published. When the writers of the Hellenistic period turned their attention to writings of a small form, it turned out that the epigram is suitable for expressing fundamental attitudes or feelings, a wide variety of momentary moods of the author. Then it became a literary genre.
The epigrams were written by the already mentioned Callimachus and Theocritus, but Asklepiades (3rd century BC), Leonidas (3rd century BC) and Meleager (2nd - 1st centuries BC) were especially famous. The latter compiled a collection of epigrams "Wreath", which can be considered the first European anthology that has survived to our time.
The authors of literary epigrams retain most of the traditional features. In Greece, it was customary to sacrifice to the gods not only thanksgiving sacrifices, the early inscriptions on which Herodotus preserved, but also various tools or things (most often without inscriptions). Usually people did this at the end of some life stage: an aged fisherman sacrificed his tattered net, a blacksmith who no longer had the strength - a hammer, a newlywed - a girl's belt. The creators of the epigrams left many stanzas of similar themes. Theocritus wrote a bucolic epigram on the following subject:
The epigram is a methodological tool similar to a proverb, the only difference being that the epigrams are made by people whose names we know, and the proverbs are folk coins. In other words, we always know the parent of the epigram, and so when we use it, we usually refer to its author.Epigrams are terse, witty, pointed statements, showing the ingenious turn of mind of the originator. They always have a literary-bookish air about them that distinguishes them from proverbs. Epigrams possess a great degree of independence and therefore, if taken out of the context, will retain the wholeness of the idea they express. They have a generalizing function and are self-sufficient. The most characteristic feature of an epigram is that the sentence gets accepted as a word-combination and often becomes part of the language as a whole. Like proverbs, epigrams can be expanded to apply to abstract notions (thus embodying different spheres of application). Brevity is the essential quality of the epigram. A. Chekhov once said that brevity is the sister of talent; 'Brevity is the soul of the wit' holds true of any epigram.
Epigrams are often confused with aphorisms and paradoxes. It is difficult to draw a demarcation line between them, the distinction being very subtle. Real epigrams are true to fact and that is why they win general recognition and acceptance.
Let us turn to examples. Somerset Maugham in "The Razor's Edge" says:
"Art is triumphant when it can use convention as an instrument of its own;;purpose."
This statement is interesting from more than one point of view. It shows the ingenious turn of mind of the writer, it gives an indirect definition of art as Maugham understands it, it is complete in itself even if taken out of the context. But still this sentence is not a model epigram because it lacks one essential quality, viz. brevity. It is too long and therefore cannot function in speech as a ready-made language unit. Besides, it lacks other features which are inherent in epigrams and make them similar to proverbs, i.e. rhythm, alliteration and often rhyme. It cannot be expanded to other spheres of life, it does Hot generalize.
Compare this sentence with the following used by the same author in the same novel.
"A God that can be understood is no God."
This sentence seems to meet all the necessary requirements of the epigram: it is brief, generalizing, witty and can be expanded in its appli¬cation. The same applies to Byron's
"...in the days of old men made manners; Manners now ftiake men" ("Don Juan")
or Keats's
"A thing of beauty is a joy forever."
Writers who seek aesthetic precision use the epigram abundantly; others use it to characterize the hero of their work. Somerset Maugham is particularly fond of it and many of his novels and stories abound in epigrams. Here are some from "The Painted Veil."
"He that bends shall be made straight."
"Failure is the foundation of success and success is the lurking
place of failure..."
"Mighty is he who conquers himself."
There are utterances which in form are epigrammatic—these are verses and in particular definite kinds of verses. The last two lines of a sonnet are called epigrammatic because, according to the semantic structure of this form of verse, they sum up and synthesize what has been said before. The heroic couplet, a special compositional form of verse, is also a suitable medium for epigrams, for instance:
"To observations which ourselves, we make, We grow more partial for th' observer's sake."
(Alexander Pope)
There are special dictionaries which are called "Dictionaries of Quotations." These, in fact, are mostly dictionaries of epigrams. What is worth quoting must always contain some degree of the generalizing quality and if it comes from a work of poetry will have metre (and sometimes rhyme). That is why the works of Shakespeare, Pope, Byron and many other great English poets are said to be full of epigrammatic statements.
The epigram is, in fact, a supra-phrasal unit in sense, though not in structure (see p. 194).

Poetry is epigrammatic in essence. It always strives for brevity of expression, leaving to the mind of the reader the pleasure of amplifying the idea. Byron's

"The drying up a single tear has more
Of honest fame, than shedding seas of gore,"
is a strongly worded epigram, which impresses the* reader with its generalizing truth. It may be regarded as a supra-phrasal unit inasmuch as it is semantically connected with the preceding lines and at the same time enjoys a considerable degree of independence. The inner quality of any sentence to which the rank of epigram, in the generic sense of the term, can be attributed, is that the particularity of the event is replaced by a timeless non-particularity.1
Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care on themselves,
Quotations
Next to the originator of a good sentence is the first quoter of it. Emerson
A quotation is a repetition of a phrase or statement from a book, speech and the like used by way of authority, illustration, proof or as a basis for further speculation on the matter in hand.
By repeating a passage in a new environment, we attach to the utterance an importance it might not have had in the context whence it was taken. Moreover, we give it the status, temporary though it may be, of a stable language unit. What is quoted must be worth quoting, since a quotation will inevitably acquire some degree of generalization. If repeated frequently, it may be recognized as an epigram, if, of course, it has at least some of the linguistic properties of the latter.
Quotations are usually marked off in the text by inverted commas (" "), dashes (—), italics or other graphical means.
They are mostly used accompanied by a reference to the author of the quotation, unless he is well known to the reader or audience. The reference is made either in the text or in a foot-note and assumes various forms, as, for instance:
"as (so and so) has it"; "(So and so) once said that"...; "Here we quote (so and so)" or in the manner the reference to Emerson has been made in the epigraph to this chapter.
A quotation is the exact reproduction of an actual utterance made by a certain author. The work containing the utterance quoted must have been published or at least spoken in public; for quotations are echoes of somebody else's words.
Utterances, when quoted, undergo a peculiar and subtle change. They are rank-and-file members of the text they belong to, merging with other sentences in this text in the most natural and organic wayf bearing some part of the general sense the text as a whole embodies; yet, when they are quoted,, their significance is heightened and they become different from other parts of the text. Once quoted, they are no longer rank-and-file units. If they are used to back up the idea ex¬pressed in the new text, they become "parent sentences" with the cor¬responding authority and respect and acquire a symbolizing function; in short, they not infrequently become epigrams, for example, Hamlet's "To be or not to be!" X
A quotation is always4 set against the other sentences in the text by its greater volume of sense and significance. This singles it out, par¬ticularly if it is frequently repeated", as any utterance worth committing to memory generally is. The use of quotations presupposes a good knowledge of the past experience of the nation, its literature and culture.1 The stylistic value of a quotation lies mainly in the fact that it comprises two meanings: the primary meaning, the one which it has in its original surroundings, and the applicative meaning, i.e. the one which it acquires in the new context.
1 A quotation from Byron's "English Bards and Scotch Reviewers" will be apt as a comment here: "With just enough of learning to misquote."
Quotations, unlike epigrams, need not necessarily be short. A whole paragraph or a long passage may be quoted if it suits the purpose. It is to be noted, however, that sometimes in spite of the fact that the exact wording is used, a quotation in a new environment may assume a new shade of meaning, a shade necessary or sought by the quoter, but not intended by the writer of the original work.
Here we give a few examples of the use of quotations.
"Socrates said, our only knowledge was
"To know that nothing could be known" a pleasant
Science enough, which levels to an ass
Each man of Wisdom, future, past or present.
Newton (that proverb of the mind) alas!
Declared with all his grand discoveries recent
That he himself felt only "like a youth
Picking up shells by the great ocean—Truth." (Byron)
"Ecclesiastes said, "that all is vanity"—* Most modern preachers say the same, or show it
By their examples of the Christianity..," (Byron)
Quotations are used as a stylistic device, as is seen from these exam-j pies, with the aim of expanding the meaning of the sentence quoted and setting two meanings one against the other, thus modifying the original meaning. In this quality they are used mostly in the belles-lettres style. Quotations used in other styles of speech allow no modifications of meaning, unless actual distortion of form and meaning is the aim of the quoter.
Quotations are also used in epigraphs. The quotation in this case possesses great associative power and calls forth much connotative meaning,The epigram is a methodological tool similar to a proverb, the only difference being that the epigrams are made by people whose names we know, and the proverbs are folk coins. In other words, we always know the parent of the epigram, and so when we use it, we usually refer to its author.
1. Alongside with separate words speakers use larger blocks consisting of more than one word - word combina?tions functioning as a whole. Word combinations similar to words are not created in speech but introduced into the act of communication ready-made. Such word combina?tions are called set expressions.
A free phrase permits substitution of any of its ele?ments without semantic change: to cut bread, to cut chee?se, to eat bread.
In semi-fixed combinations lexico-semantic li?mits are manifested in restrictions imposed upon types of words which can be used in a given pattern. For example, the pattern consisting of the verb go followed by a preposition and a noun with no article before it is used; go to school, go to market, go to court.
Set expressions have their own specific features, which enhanced their stability. These are their euphonic, imaginative and connotative qualities. Many set expres?sions are distinctly rhythmical, contain alliteration, rhyme, imagery, contrast, are based on puns.
No substitution of any elements is possible in the fol?lowing stereotyped (unchangeable) set expressions:
the man in the street, heads or tails, first night, to hope for the best, busy as a bee, fair and square, tit for tat, to and fro.
These euphonic and connotative qualities also prevent
substitution for another linguistic reason - any substitu?tion would destroy the emphatic effect.
There are several types of set expressions which will be dwelt on in this chapter.
2.The first type of set expressions is the cliche. A cliche is generally defined as an expression that has be?come hackneyed, trite. It has lost its precise meaning by constant reiteration; in other words it has become stereo?typed. There is always a contradiction between what is aimed at and what is actually attained. Examples of real cliches are:
rosy dreams of youth, astronomical figures, to break the ice, the irony of fate
The second type of set expressions are proverbs and sayings. Proverbs and sayings have linguistic features which distinguish them from ordinary sentences.
Proverbs are brief statements which show in a condensed form the accumulated life experience of the so?ciety. They are usually short familiar epigrammatic say?ings, expressive and have generalized meaning. They are also image bearing. They express the wisdom of the pe?ople and never lose their freshness and vigour. E.g.:
"Better late than never"; "Out of sight, out of mind"; "He laughs best, who laughs last"; "A great ship asks deep waters".
Proverbs have much in common with set expressions because their lexical components are also constant, their meaning is traditional and mostly figurative, and they are introduced into speech ready-made.
Usually English proverbs and sayings are rhythmi?cally arranged and rhymed. E.g.:
"Eat at pleasure, drink with measure"; "A friend in need is a friend indeed. "
Proverbs and sayings are mostly used by writers in the direct speed of characters to individualize their spe?ech, and also as laconic, expressive and emotional ready-made phrases. They are often used in the speech of cha?racters and the author's narrative to clarity and conform the thought. E.g.:
"In this conflict we are the challengers. You have the choice of weapons. If you choose scandal, we'll take you on at that. No good will come of washing our dirty linen in public". (B. Shaw).
3. An epigram is a stylistic device which is very close to a proverb.
Problematic question: What is the difference between epigrams and proverbs?
The difference between them lies in the fact 'that epigrams are created by individuals, famous writers, poets, scientists, philosophers whom we know, while pro?verbs are the coinage of the people. In other words, when using epigrams, we usually make a reference to its author.
Epigrams possess a great degree of independence and therefore, if taken out of the context, will retain the wholeness of the idea they express.
Writers use epigrams to criticize their heros. Somer?set Maugham is fond of it and many of his novels and sto?ries abound in epigrams:
1. He that bends shall be made straight.
2. Failure is the foundation of success and success is
the lurking place of failure.
3. Mighty is he who conquers himself.
Proverbs and sayings are used as expressive means of the language while epigrams constitute the stylistic devi?ces. Epigrams are literary expressions while proverbs are utterance of the folk language.
Epigrams form a certain type of convergence when they are used together with other expressive means and stylistic devices.
Simile - Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow. (J.Dryden)
Repetition - All for one, one for all. (A. Duma)
Litotes -- Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. (W. Emerson)
Metaphor - Knowledge is a city, to the building of which every human being brought a stone. (W. Emerson)
Irony - A bank is a place where they lend you an umbrella in fair weather and ask for back when it begins to rain. (R. Frost)
Periphrasis - The black flower of civilized society, a prison. (N. Hawthorn)
Enumeration - Love and business and family and re?lations are art and patriotism are nothing but shadows of words when a man's starving. (CTHenry)
4. A quotation is a repetition of a phrase or statement From a book, speech and the like.
By repeating a passage in a new environment, we attach to the utterance an importance which does not exist in the context. What is quoted must be worth quoting, since a quotation will inevitably acquire some degree of generalization
Quotations are usually marked off in the text by inverted commas (" "), dashes ( - ), italics or other graphical means.
They are mostly used accompanied by a reference to the author of the quotation, unless he is well-known to the reader or audience. The reference is made either in the text or in a foot-note and assumes various forms, as for instance: "As (so and so) has it"; "(So and so) once said that"...; "Here we quote (so and so)".
The stylistic value of a quotation lies mainly in the fact that it comprises two meanings: the primary mea?ning, the one which it has in its original surroundings, and the applicative meaning, i.e. the one which it acquires in the new context.
Quotations, unlike epigrams, need not necessarily be
short. A whole paragraph or a long passage may be quoted if it suits the purpose.
Quotations are used as a stylistic device with the aim of expanding the meaning of the sentence quoted and setting two meanings one against the other, thus modi?fying the original meaning. In this quality they are used mostly in the belles-lettres style. Quotations used in other styles of speech allow no modifications of meaning.
5.An allusion is a reference, by word or phrase, to a historical, literary, mythological, biblical facts or to a fact of everyday life made in the course of speaking or writing. The use of allusion is based on the accumulated experi?enceand knowledge of the writer who presupposes a similar experience and knowledge in the reader. As a rule no indication of the source is given. This is one of the notable differences between quotation and allusion.
short. A whole paragraph or a long passage may be quoted if it suits the purpose.
There is an example of the use of a quotation:
Socrates said, our only knowledge was
"To know that nothing could be known" a pleasant
Science enough, which levels to an ass
Each man of Wisdom, future, past or present.
(Byron)
We distinguish two structural types of allusion. The first type is when allusion is realized through one word or a word combination. In this case the reference is made to certain famous names, events or facts: Henry VIII, Ann Boylein, Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Voterloo.
The second type of allusion is realized through its interpretation, so to say explanation given in the text.
The stylistic effect of an allusion can be achieved only if the facts and personages alluded to are well-known to the reader. E.g.:
"He was the meekest of his sex, the mildest of little men. He walked as softly as the Ghost in "Hamlet" and more slowly". (Dickens)