Definition: An epigram is a concise, pointed, and satirical poem on a single thought or event. The form was originally intended for inscribing on monuments, and obtained its current definition around the 1st century BC. Samuel Taylor Coleridge ingeniously wrote an epigram that encapsulates epigram:
"What is an Epigram? A dwarfish whole,
Its body brevity, and wit its soul."
"What is an Epigram? A dwarfish whole,
Its body brevity, and wit its soul."
Examples:
In addition to poetry, Emily Dickenson wrote epigrams like the following: "Gratitude is the timid wealth / of those who have nothing."
More Literary Terms Defined
