A short, usually cited passage that appears at the beginning of a chapter, story, or other document
A quotation, or a sentence composed for the purpose, placed at the beginning of a literary work or one of its separate divisions, usually suggestive of the theme
a quotation, taken from another literary work, that is placed at the start of a poem under the title For example, T S Eliot's "Gerontion" begins with a quotation from Shakespeare's play Measure for Measure
a quotation placed at the beginning of a work or one of its parts and suggesting its theme
an inscription, usually carved or etched in stone Epigraphs, which can be recovered from archaeological sites, provide information about the language and customs of the time when they were written
Any inscription set upon a building; especially, one which has to do with the building itself, its founding or dedication
1 A page in a manuscript with a brief quotation meant to suggest the theme, tone, or spirit of the book Sometimes this is a quotation from the work itself Even the briefest quotation from songs or poems that are still under copyright may require the permission of the owner of the work Although the epigraph in the finished book is often set flush right or centered, it should be entered normally in manuscript