Each of these words beginning with epi- (from the Greek word for "upon") has multiple definitions, but here are the most common meanings:
- An epigram is a brief, witty statement in prose or verse--similar to an aphorism.
- An epigraph is a brief quotation set at the beginning of a text (a book, a chapter of a book, an essay, a poem) to suggest its theme.
- An epitaph is a brief inscription in prose or verse on a tombstone or monument.
Examples:
- The epigram is a witty kind of writing, though not all who write it are witty.
- An epigraph to a book is like a key signature in music, and Beloved is written in major.
- The cerulean-eyed Paul Newman once wryly predicted his epitaph: "Here lies Paul Newman, who died a failure because his eyes turned brown."
Practice:
(a) An _____, it's said, is a "dwarfish whole--its body brevity, and wit its soul."(b) "I am curious, about all of it, all the time,” Studs Terkel once said. "'Curiosity never killed this cat'--that's what I'd like as my _____."
(c) The _____ to Jay McInerney's novel Bright Lights, Big City is quoted from The Sun Also Rises.
