EPIGRAMS

1. any witty, ingenious, or pointed saying tersely expressed.

* terse: 1. neatly or effectively concise; brief and pithy, as language. 2.
abruptly concise; curt; brusque. abrupt in manner; blunt; rough: A brusque welcome greeted his unexpected return.2. a short, often satirical poem dealing concisely with a single subject and usually ending with a witty or ingenious turn of thought.

History of the Epigram

Greeks began the tradition of using epigrams, often in memory of deceased loved ones. Therefore, the elegy and the epigram are closely linked, and in ancient times, the distinction was not so great as it is today.
Epigrams were often much lengthier than a simple line or two. Additionally, the Greeks did not always use the tools of satire, comedy, and twists that have become a popular trademark of the epigram today.
The Latin poet, Martialis, who died in the beginning of the second century A.D., became the model for later European and American versions of the epigram. He is the one who added the different tone to the genre, as he was influenced by his contemporary Juvenal, a Roman poet most known for his work in the satirical arts.
Brief Epigrams

Not all epigrams are parts of larger works. Some stand by themsleves, although they are still considered poetry because of their schematic form.
Examples include:

• "Little strokes/Fell great oaks." - Benjamin Franklin
• "Here's my wife: here let her lie! Now she's at rest-and so am I." - John Dryden
• "Candy/Is dandy,/But liquor/Is quicker." - Ogden Nash
• "I mean the opposite of what I say./You've got it now? No, it's the other way." - Bruce Bennett, "Ironist"
• "To be safe on the Fourth/Don't buy a fifth on the third." - James H. Muehlbauer
• "It comes once a year/But it fades with fear."- Harry Potter
• Hume on Self-Interest'Tis not contrary to reason to prefer the destruction of the whole world to the scratching of my finger. (David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature, 1739)

Purpose of the Epigram

Clearly, the reasons for using epigrams are plentiful.

• They cause the reader or listener to think a bit more about the statement being made.
• They are examples of pure humor.
• They all leave an impression.

Many of them, whether through humor or blatant statements, are making a commentary on some sort of issue, whether it be political, social, religious, or just about day-to-day life.

Epigrams Not Found in Poetry
Brief epigrams could be considered quotations; however, there are other examples that are completely not in the field of poetry at all. For example, Lara Croft was using a poetical device; however, she was using it in the context of a movie.
Compiling a list of all the non poetic epigrams is difficult, if not impossible, because any witty saying can be considered to be one.
Familiar epigrams include:

• "I can resist everything but temptation." - Oscar Wilde
• "No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend." - Groucho Marx
• "It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness." - Eleanor Roosevelt
• "The only 'ism' Hollywood believes in is plagiarism." -
• "Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put and end to mankind." - John F. Kennedy
• "Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, and small people talk about wine." - Fran Lebowitz

Epigrams vs Aphorisms

Epigrams- More “tongue and cheek”, meant to be humorous,

and can hurt or help the authors piece by the context which the epigram is used. * I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train.” – Oscar Wilde

Non-poetic epigrams

Occasionally, simple and witty statements, though not poetic per se, may also be considered epigrams. Oscar Wilde's witticisms such as "I can resist everything except temptation" are considered epigrams. Wilde's statement, "the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about" is another example. This shows the epigram's tendency towards paradox. Dorothy Parker's one-liners can be considered epigrams, as can Macdonald Carey's statement, "like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives". Friedrich Nietzsche considered that, "a witticism is an epigram on the death of a feeling," in Human, All Too Human.^{[original research?]}
Wit or sarcasm help distinguish epigrams from aphorisms and adages, which may lack them.
Epigrams are sometimes particularly pointed or much-quoted quotations taken from longer works.