An epigram is a short wordplay imparting wisdom, written as a couplet, quatrain, or one-liner. Epigrams are sometimes satirical, and often cleverly witty. Samuel Taylor Coleridge offered the following, by way of a shining, defining example;
What is an Epigram? A dwarfish whole,
Its body brevity, and wit its soul.
(Samuel Taylor Coleridge)
Other notable examples are;
I am not young enough to know everything.
(Oscar Wilde)
I can resist everything but temptation.
(Oscar Wilde)
Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put and end to mankind.
(John F. Kennedy)
The following epigram has been attributed to both Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Alexander Pope, so I won’t even hazard a guess – but it’s too good an example to leave out because of uncertainty, especially given its reference to poets and poetry.
Sir, I admit your general rule,
That every poet is a fool,
But you yourself may serve to show it,
That every fool is not a poet.
My two offerings are;
Ridicule and criticism
make a mock of witticism
(© Kathryn Apel)
Those who bank on their wealth to buy friends, are poor.
When funds dry up, fake friends withdraw.
(© Kathryn Apel)
The term epigram is derived from the Greek word epigramma meaning inscription. Epigrams, with their witty words and wisdom, were often scattered through Autograph Books. I’d love you to sign my Autograph Book, below, with your own sage words. Mayhaps even an epigram? You can visit Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect to get all the links for Poetry Friday on 21st October.
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How about this one:
You never know as much as when you don’t know anything.
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How about that. Nice contradictions there. I’m still thinking on it.
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🙂 That’s a good sign.
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I remember discovering Oscar Wilde as a teenager and just been smitten by those epigrams, though I certainly didn’t know the correct term for them back then!
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The succinct word play does catch your attention.
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Enjoyed this witty wordplay, Kat! A little bell rang in my brain that I posted some epigrams once, so I looked it up.
http://tabathayeatts.blogspot.com/2011/01/short-and-sweet-or-sour.html
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Oh yay. More epigrams. Thanks for sharing, Tabatha.
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What a fun post. Love all the examples you shared as well as your own :).
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Thanks, Jama.
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Thanks for highlighting epigrams, Kat. I love the clever wordplay and wit.
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Don’t forget Mark Twain:
It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.
It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.
Nothing so needs reforming as other people’s habits.
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That last one! He knew people so well.
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Thanks for these, Diane. How could I have omitted Mark Twain?
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How fun! My favorite bit advice to new teachers is: The only way through it …. is to just do it.
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And good advice it is, too, Linda.
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Thanks for these fun epigrams (I have read the term before but didn’t actually know what it meant–happy to know now!)
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Your epigram made me think of high school. Like Buffy, I’m glad to learn thanks to your blog post!
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