epigraph
What is Epigraph? Definition, Usage, and Literary Examples
Epigraph Definition
An epigraph (EH-puh-graf) is a short quotation that opens a work of literature. It can be prose or poetry. In a book, an epigraph is generally found after the title page and before the body of the text begins; in a poem, it’s under the title but above the first line.
The word epigraph first appeared in English in the 1620s and indicated an “inscription on a building or statue.” This derives from the Greek epigraphe, which indicated “an inscription,” from epi, which means “on,” and graphein, meaning “to write.”
Why Writers Use Epigraphs
Writers utilize epigraphs for several different purposes. Often, an epigraph sheds additional light on themes explored within the work. However, epigraphs can add an association between the source material and the work in which the excerpt is now appearing. They may also be employed to create contrast, comparison, or a larger context.
Epigraph vs. Epigram
People often confuse the terms epigram and epigraph, but they’re not the same thing.
An epigram is a pithy saying expressed in an amusing way. Epigrams are often, but not exclusively, short satirical poems with ingenious and witty endings. The confusion between these two terms is understandable, as the words not only sound alike but are also both short. Additionally, an epigram can be used as an epigraph.
Examples of Epigraphs in Literature
1. T. S. Eliot, “The Hollow Men”
This modernist poem begins with an epigraph taken from Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness:
Mistah Kurtz, he dead
By connecting this poem with a well-regarded novella about a character who is seduced into materialism and colonialist violence, Eliot places his poem within a larger literary conversation about morality and geopolitics. Secondly, he draws a direct comparison between the hollow men of his poem and Kurtz, who is described in Conrad’s book as being “hollow to the core” in his lack of morality. Thus, astute readers will see echoes of Kurtz in the hollow men Eliot describes.
2. Danez Smith, don’t call us dead
Smith uses two epigraphs to open their collection of poetry. The first epigraph comes from lyrics written by rapper/singer Drake:
Oh my god, oh my God
If I die, I’m a legend
The second epigraph is from poet Sonia Sanchez:
he who wore death discourages any plague
Smith uses these epigraphs to announce that their poems exist within the high-art world of modern poetry while also having relevance within pop culture, which has more widespread appeal. Additionally, as Smith’s work delves into their experience of being HIV positive, the use of these two epigraphs adds resonance to the themes of death, survival, and being remembered that the poems explore.
3. Mary Gaitskill, Because They Wanted To
Gaitskill begins her collection of short stories with a lengthy epigraph from Carson McCullers’s The Ballad of the Sad Café:
The most outlandish people can be the stimulus for love…A most mediocre
person can be the object of a love which is wild, extravagant, and beautiful
as the poison lilies of the swamp. A good man may be the stimulus for a love
both violent and debased, or a jabbering madman may bring about in the soul
of someone a tender and simple idyll. Therefore, the value and quality of
any love is determined solely by the lover himself.
It is for this reason that most of us would rather love than be loved. Almost
everyone wants to be the lover. And the curt truth is that, in a deep secret way,
the state of being beloved is intolerable to many.
These paragraphs neatly sum up themes that Gaitskill’s bleak stories illuminate. Her view of love, and the ways people respond to loving and being loved, directly correlate with the view of romantic relationships expounded upon by McCullers.
Further Resources on Epigraphs
Alex Weiss made a great list for Bustle of “19 Of the Best Epigraphs in Literature.”
Emily Temple did a similar list for Flavorwire of “The 25 Greatest Epigraphs”
Kristin Kieffer wrote up a very useful post for the Well-Storied blog about whether you should include an epigraph in your novel.