Examples of Epigrams in Literature

An epigram is a short saying that’s memorable, interesting, clever or witty. Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote, “What is an epigram? A dwarfish whole, / Its body brevity, and wit its soul.” Originally, epigrams were inscriptions that the ancient Greeks carved into stones, monuments and altars, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. In literature, the term refers to a memorable saying or verse from a poem, novel, short story or essay.

The "Greek Anthology"

Notable ancient Greek epigrams come from the “Greek Anthology.” Assembled in the 10th century AD, hundreds of writers contributed to the anthology’s books, according to the Gutenberg Press website. Contributors include Plato, Agathias, Nicarchus, Theocritus and Philippus of Thessalonica. The anthology covers a variety of topics, like marriage and inscriptions on statues, and includes a book of Christian epigrams. Examples of epigrams from the “Greek Anthology” include Sappho’s words: “Such simple words that have all sadness in their lingering cadences,” and “The poetry of pure passion has never reached further than this.” Plato wrote, “On the stars thou gazest, my Star; would I were heaven, that I might look on thee with many eyes,” and “Sit down by this high-foliaged voiceful pine that rustles her branches beneath the western breezes, and beside my chattering waters Pan's pipe shall bring drowsiness down on thy enchanted eyelids.”

Marcus Valerius Martialis

Marcus Valerius Martialis, or Martial, was a prominent Roman poet born in 43 AD who wrote 14 books of epigrams in Latin. Martial often used observations and messages to people he knew in his poems, which are often satirical, according to the site Tertullian.org. In the 94th epigram in his third book, Martial talks about Roman slave owner Rufus: “You say the hare is not sufficiently cooked, and call for a whip. You would rather cut up your cook, Rufus, than your hare.” Some of Martial’s epigrams are lewd or sarcastic, such as the 89th epigram in the third book: “Use lettuce limp, emollient mallows gain: / Thy sturdy stare bespeaks a stubborn strain.”

Epigrams in English Poetry

Poets like Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Alexander Pope, William Shakespeare and John Donne helped popularize epigrams in the 16th through 18th centuries, according to Poets.org. The epigrams stood alone as poems or were part of a longer piece, like a sonnet. On a dog that he gifted to the king, Pope inscribed on the collar: “I am his Highness' dog at Kew; / Pray tell me, sir, whose dog are you?” The act of writing epigrams in poems continues through the 21st century. For example, 20th century poet Ogden Nash wrote the following epigram in his poem “Reflections on Ice Breaking”: “Candy / Is dandy, / But liquor / Is quicker.”

Non-Poetic Epigrams

Clever and witty statements that don’t originate in poems are sometimes considered epigrams. An example is Eleanor Roosevelt's quote, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Oscar Wilde wrote the epigram, “As long as war is regarded as wicked, it will always have its fascination. When it is looked upon as vulgar, it will cease to be popular,” in “The Critic as Artist,” as well as “Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.” Benjamin Franklin wrote epigrams in “Poor Richard’s Almanac” such as, “Three may keep a Secret, if two of them are dead,” “A Brother may not be a Friend, but a Friend will always be a Brother, ” and “Fish and visitors stink in three days.”