The meaning of the word EPIGRAPH in the Dictionary of Literary Terms

EPIGRAPH

- (from the Greek epigraphe - an inscription) - a short text (as a rule, a poetic or prosaic quote, aphorism, proverb or saying), pre-sent to the work or its part and designed to clarify the author's intention, indicate the main idea artistic text, for example, the comedy "The Inspector General" by N.V. Gogol added to E.: "There is no reason to blame the mirror if the face is crooked." Folk proverb.

Dictionary of literary terms. 2012

See also interpretations, synonyms, meanings of the word and what is EPIGRAPH in Russian in dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference books:

• EPIGRAPH in the Quote Wiki:
  Data: 2008-09-10 Time: 10:02:30 * The epigraph is the reader's last chance to change his mind and not read everything else. (A.V. Zhvalevsky, I.E. Mytko) [...
• EPIGRAPH in the Big Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  (from the Greek. epigraphe - an inscription).
• EPIGRAPH in big Soviet encyclopedia, TSB:
  (from the Greek epigraphe - an inscription), from the 14th century. a short text placed by the author before the essay or part of it. Sources of E. are ...
• EPIGRAPH v Encyclopedic Dictionary Brockhaus and Euphron:
  (Greek epigrajh - inscription) - a quote placed at the head of an essay or part of it in order to indicate its spirit, its meaning, ...
• EPIGRAPH in the Modern Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  (from the Greek epigraphe - an inscription), 1) in antiquity, an inscription on a monument, a building. 2) A quote, a saying, a proverb, placed by the author before the text ...
• EPIGRAPH
  [Greek] 1) the ancient Greeks had an inscription on some monument; 2) nowadays the phrase (often - a quote), placed in the title of the entire work ...
• EPIGRAPH in the Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  a, m. Dictum, short quote, pre-sent to the work or its part and characterizing their main idea. Introduce a proverb into e. Epigraphic ...
• EPIGRAPH in the Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  , -a, m. A saying (or quotation), pre-sent to a work (or part of it, a chapter) and concentrating thought on its idea. E. to ...
• EPIGRAPH in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  EP'IGRAPH (from the Greek epigraph; - an inscription), in antiquity - an inscription on a monument, a building. A quote, a saying, a proverb placed by the author before the text ...
• EPIGRAPH in the Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron:
  (Greek ????????? "inscription")? a quote placed at the head of an essay or part of it in order to indicate its spirit, its meaning, ...
• EPIGRAPH in the Complete Accentuated Paradigm by Zaliznyak:
  epi "count, epi" graphs, epi "graphs, epi" graphs, epi "graphs, epi" graphs, epi "graphs, epi" graphs, epi "graphs, epi" graphs, epi "graphs, ...
• EPIGRAPH in the Popular Explanatory and Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Russian Language:
  -a, m. A dictum, a short quote, preceded by a work or part of it and characterizing them. We decided ... to publish it [the manuscript] separately, after looking for ...
• EPIGRAPH in the New Dictionary of Foreign Words:
  ((c. epigraphe inscription) 1) among the ancient Greeks - an inscription on some object; recording; 2) a phrase (often a quote) placed before ...
• EPIGRAPH in the Dictionary of Foreign Expressions:
  [1. among the ancient Greeks - an inscription on some object; recording; 2. a phrase (often a quote) placed before an essay or before ...
• EPIGRAPH in the dictionary of Synonyms of the Russian language:
  dictum, motto, inscription, ...
• EPIGRAPH in the New explanatory and derivational dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova:
  
• EPIGRAPH in the Complete Russian Spelling Dictionary:
  epigraph, ...
• EPIGRAPH in the Spelling Dictionary:
  ep`igraph, ...
• EPIGRAPH in the Ozhegov Russian Language Dictionary:
  a dictum (or quotation) pre-sent to a work (or part of it, a chapter) and concentrating thought on its idea E. to ...
• EPIGRAPH in the Modern Explanatory Dictionary, TSB:
  (from the Greek epigraphe - an inscription), .. 1) in antiquity, an inscription on a monument, a building ... 2) A quote, a dictum, a proverb placed by the author in front of the text of all artistic ...
• EPIGRAPH v Explanatory dictionary Russian language Ushakov:
  (epigraph is outdated), epigraph, m. (Greek epigraphe - inscription). 1. The ancient Greeks - an inscription on gravestone. 2. Short text …
• EPIGRAPH in the Explanatory Dictionary of Efremova:
  epigraph m. A short text, a quote, a saying placed by the author before his work or before a separate part of it and characterizing their main ...
• EPIGRAPH in the New Dictionary of the Russian Language by Efremova:
  m. A short text, quotation, sayings, placed by the author in front of his work or in front of a separate part of it and characterizing their main ...

Instructions

At its core, an epigraph is a vivid, original statement borrowed from a famous person or from a literary work. The main task of the epigraphs is to express the essence of the work in a concentrated manner and set it off. A well-chosen epigraph allows you to understand what will be discussed and what conclusions will be drawn even before reading the holistic content. In addition, a good epigraph is very text, gives it style.

Most main question, which arises when it is necessary to pick up an epigraph - where to find it. For school, you can use as any or a paragraph from the literary work on which you write. You can also use the statement of one of the critics who analyzed this work, if his idea seems to you to be complete and expressing your intention.

Also, winged expressions, aphorisms, bright quotes famous historical figures. Fragments can often be taken. Before looking for a suitable text as an epigraph, think about what main idea you want to express with your work. What tone should set the epigraph to the entire text: serious, gloomy, frivolous, cheerful. The choice of a suitable one depends on this.

Having understood exactly how you want to see your epigraph, think if you are recalling some statement, quote, consonant with your thoughts. If something like this comes to mind, find this text and re-read the original. It will become clear to you if it is suitable for your job. If not, keep looking. You can use the Internet resources to find the right quote or aphorism. Various compilations may also be helpful. catch phrases.

After the text suitable for the epigraph has been selected, it must be properly formatted. Epigraphs always located immediately after the heading and before the main text of the work on the right side of the page. If you are typing the job on a computer, select the "Right Align" option to write the epigraph. The text of the epigraph without quotation marks, under it the author's name and surname. If you want to indicate, in addition to the author's name, the title of the work from which the quotation was taken, write it separated by commas after the author's surname.

Sources:

• How to make a regular epigraph

In web diaries, blogs, forum posts and social networks today you can often find small beautiful pictures, on which the owner's nickname or some kind of quote is inserted. Such pictures serve as a kind epigraph for a blog, diary or website, and you can also post them in your own profiles on various social services. You can create an epigraph picture in a matter of minutes.

Instructions

Open the picture and texture in one common Adobe Photoshop document and place the picture layer above the texture layer. Use the Free Transform Tool (Ctrl + T) to resize the images to match each other, and then change the Blend Mode of the layers (Blend Mode) to Lighten.

Select the Eraser Tool from the Toolbox and adjust the eraser so that it has a soft, soft edge. Erase one edge of the photo, trying to make it smooth and invisible from the texture. If necessary, slide the image slightly to reveal most texture.

Decorate the future epigraph with additional visual effects - desaturate your image by pressing the key combination Ctrl + Shift + U, and then select new regime mixing layers, for example Soft Light.

The epigraph is usually made out entirely on the right side of the sheet or with a significant indent on the left side, without using quotation marks. It is considered that this part of the text should not occupy more than half of the page width. If the epigraph, which is in the form of a quotation, has the author's surname and initials, a full stop is usually not put after them. The size of the font used for typing the epigraph should correspond to the main text of the work or be slightly smaller in size.

How to choose the right epigraph

Quotations from the works of other authors are most widely used as epigraphs to works. When choosing such a passage, one should strive to ensure that it is extremely short and concise, but at the same time accurately reflects the author's thought. It hardly makes sense to quote extensive and lengthy quotations. The advantage of the epigraph is the brevity and accuracy of the expression of thought.

Very wide opportunities are provided by the use of aphorisms, by which figurative sayings are most often understood. In the aphorism of a scientist, eminent writer or public figure expressiveness and completeness of thought are combined. However, no one forbids the author to come up with an aphorism on his own. If the dictum is successful, the reader will not demand from the author a certificate certifying that he is world famous, famous and respected in society.

Reflect on the topic of the essay. Think:

What problem do you want to raise;
- how can you formulate controversial issues and how to answer them;
- how you substantiate and substantiate your statements.

Make a plan of the essay in a draft, write down your main ideas and thoughts there. Consider how you can substantiate your claims:

Quotes from the work (no more than two or three sentences), which will confirm, not repeat your thoughts;
- links to relevant episodes;
- analysis of the work (decide which key points of the text confirm your position).

Think in what style you will write (it is your individual style as the author of the composition). Decide in advance what the introduction and conclusion will be. It is best if the beginning and end of your work, as it were, are closed in a circle: ideologically (the same idea is approved and confirmed) or formally (repetition of words). It is not difficult if at the very beginning you carefully think over your own, especially its initial and final parts. Check yourself to see if you have strayed from the topic: read the topic of your work and check it against what you want to write.

Write an introduction. It may contain:

An invitation to a conversation;
- presentation of the author;
- identification of the problem (it must be clearly formulated);
- transition to the main part.

The introduction should not retell the content of the text. The volume of the introductory part should be small - only 3-4 sentences. If necessary, cross out unnecessary phrases. In case you can't get started with the introduction, you can start with the main body of the text, leaving room for the introduction. Better yet, think: what's stopping you from approaching the topic? Perhaps you have not yet clearly formulated for yourself the main problem or other provisions of the text.

The beginning of the essay should flow smoothly into the main part. By writing main part, using the outline diagram, read it. Make sure that the main body is relevant to the topic and does not contain unnecessary statements and thoughts. Do your statements disagree with the author's intention and with the content of the text? Mark your main thoughts in the margin with a pencil. Finally, you can repeat them in other words. Please note that it doesn't have to be large. The introduction and conclusion should be no more than 25% of the entire text.

Read the entire work carefully. Correct mistakes, eliminate inaccuracies in words. If possible, check the dictionary, which you are not sure of the correct spelling. Pay close attention to punctuation marks. Explain mentally those signs in which you doubt.

Helpful advice

Please note that the epigraph is written without quotes, the author's surname in it - without brackets. After indicating the author of the epigraph, a full stop is not put. Poems are quoted in a column (without quotes, in the middle of the page) or in a line (in quotes, with a separator "/" between the lines).

Sources:

• How to write an essay on literature
• how to write an essay on literature

Many schoolchildren and applicants are faced with the problem of writing an essay. Knowledge of the content of the text is of little help here. The author of the essay is required to be able to analyze ideological content and artistic identity works. Write a message writing- this is the ability to coherently formulate among themselves the thoughts and facts presented from the point of view of the author and proved by him. Work on writing m can be carried out through such stages.

Instructions

Consider and understand the topic of the essay, identify its content. Define the range of problems contained in it. It is important to understand what the meaning and semantic load carries every word in the wording of the topic. For example, the nature of the work on m by characters literary works depends on the classification:
- characterization of the character ("Tatiana Larina - the ideal of the author", "Tatiana Larina as a type of Russian woman", "Bazarov through the eyes of the author and", "Tatiana Larina in the assessment of VG Belinsky");
- comparison of characters ("Onegin and Lensky", "Bazarov and Arkady Kirsanov");
- character system (" Female images in the novel by A.S. Pushkin "Eugene Onegin");
- character ("Famusovskoe in the comedy of A.S. Griboyedov" Woe from Wit ");
- hero and environment ("Chatsky and Famus Society");
- the image of the character ("The image of Pechorin");
- the image of the author ("The image of the author in the novel" Eugene Onegin ").

Formulate the main idea (idea of ​​the essay). To do this, ask yourself the question: "What conclusion should I come to when disclosing the topic?"

The word itself "epigraph" has been known since ancient times. The ancient Greeks had an epigraph ( epigraphe) were originally called inscriptions on tombstones or on the walls of buildings. The first literary epigraphs appeared in the writings of the Renaissance writers. At that time, they were still a rare phenomenon and came into wide use only with late XVIII century.

Since the 19th century, it has become fashionable in Russia to place an epigraph not only at the beginning of a work, but also in front of each part of it. The ability to choose the epigraph successfully and use it correctly in his books was proof of the author's education and reading. At one time, A.S. Pushkin, N.V. Gogol, I.S. Turgenev, L.N. Tolstoy and other famous Russian writers.

Placement of an epigraph in front of the main text of the book is a sign good taste and respect for the readers. In the epigraph, the work is described from the point of view of an authoritative person, whose opinion is very important for the writer. It could be an opinion, a quote, a motto, catch phrase or any other saying.


The epigraph is used by the authors for the following purposes

- To briefly highlight the main storyline of the book.

- To emphasize the basic mood and spirit of the work as a whole.

- Preliminarily acquaint the reader with the characters.

- Show your personal attitude to the described events or heroes of the work.

In Russian literature, the epigraph is used in different genres:

- v lyric works;

- v fiction;

- in novels in verse;

- in articles, letters, essays.

A well thought out epigraph often helps the reader understand what the author was trying to say between the lines. The clearest example the use of the epigraph in literature - the phenomenal novel by Alexander Pushkin "Eugene Onegin". In it, each chapter begins with an epigraph.

These are the cleverest sayings of such immortal poets as Petrarch, Horace, Byron, Griboyedov, Zhukovskaya and the well-known sayings of other great people.


In the world-famous epigraph to his novel Anna Karenina, L. N. Tolstoy uses a quotation from the Bible that reads as follows:

"Vengeance is mine, and I will repay."

In Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita, the epigraph clearly expresses the spirit of the work and the author's intention. This is a quote borrowed from the tragedy "Faust" (Goethe):

"I am part of the power that always wants evil and always does good."

Writing an epigraph to an essay is not prerequisite, but the work, decorated in this way, testifies to serious attitude student to complete the assignment.

A well-formed epigraph adorns the work and has great importance to get the final grade.

Basic rules for writing epigraphs

- The epigraph is placed below the line with the title of the work, on the right side of the page.

- If the epigraph consists of several lines, then all of them must be equal in length.

- The epigraph is highlighted in a smaller font than the text following it.

- Translation of a foreign language epigraph is separated from the original by a blank.

- The epigraph is not in quotation marks.

- At the end of the epigraph, an appropriate punctuation mark is placed. If the phrase is not completed, then ellipsis is used.

Appropriately selected epigraphs complement any text favorably. The law of the Russian Federation permits the use of excerpts from the works of other authors in epigraphs.


This does not require the consent of the person who composed original text... But in mandatory it is necessary to indicate the source of the quotation and the name of the author of the original source.

Before you start writing a novel of the century or a simple story, you should find out what an epigraph is. This word is called a short text, saying or quotation that precedes a work or part of it.

Usually the epigraph expresses the essence creative concept writer, the main idea of ​​the work and, of course, informs the reader main theme the author's work, as well as his mood. Knowing what an epigraph is, the creator has an excellent opportunity to tune the reader in the right mood right away, as soon as the first page of his work opens.

Sometimes the epigraph characterizes the heroes of the text or gives the big picture storyline... There are epigraphs to the entire work, and there are to one single chapter.

Some, when asked what an epigraph is, will say that it is a quatrain. However, today some authors use not only poetry for this, but also short anecdotes"to this topic". This plays the role of a small respite in modern tutorials, textbooks, encyclopedias, where the reader is offered material that is rather difficult to comprehend.

For example, in a self-study guide for beginners with a personal computer, before the chapter on the drive, there is an anecdote about a blonde who calls the service department with a complaint that her "coffee stand" is broken - it does not come out. On the one hand, it gives the mood on the topic of the chapter, and on the other hand, it slightly dilutes the seriousness of the material with humor. Just like good teachers in lectures!

To understand more deeply what an epigraph is, one should look into “ past life"Of this word. It turns out that it had interesting story... After all, its first meaning was “ epitaph". Hence the related word "epitaph" was born.

Probably the main feature of the epigraph is the fact that in short phrase should contain a maximum of meaning and content, just as in the epitaph literally a few words is expressed deep thought.

The first epigraphs appeared in the Renaissance, however, firmly rooted only in the period of Romanticism. Today it is difficult to find wherever they are used.

The design of the epigraph has its own rules that everyone who decides to use it in their work should know. As a rule, it is drawn up without quotation marks on the right side of the sheet. The author's surname and first name should not be put in brackets, the period after them is also missing.

They type it in a font several sizes smaller than the main text, sometimes the epigraph is italicized. Making it on foreign language, next to which his translation is located, differs from the usual one. After all, you need to type the text of the original and the translation with different outlines of the same font and size. It is also important to separate them with a space.

In the epigraph, the cited quotation must exactly reproduce the quoted text, without changes. in the quotation should be arranged in the same way as in the author's text. If only a fragment of an excerpt is quoted, then an ellipsis is put in place of the omission according to the rules. Also, in a phrase that is not written from the beginning, an ellipsis is put.

All stitches should be approximately the same length. Very often with good design the epigraph to the entire book is placed on a separate odd page following title page... If they are used for each chapter, they are placed after their title or number.

You should also remember some of the axioms of using epigraphs.

1. Poetic text in no case should you retell in your own words!

2. As for the rules of punctuation in prose works, then it should completely coincide with in direct speech.

Ushakov's Dictionary

Epigraph

epi graph(epigraph outdated.), epigraph, husband. (Greek epigraphe - inscription).

1. The ancient Greeks have an inscription on the tombstone.

2. A short text (usually a quote from somewhere, a proverb, a saying etc.), placed by the author in front of his work or its separate part, and giving a kind of illumination to the main idea of ​​the work ( lit.). "We decided, with the permission of our relatives, to publish it (the manuscript) separately, looking for a decent epigraph for each chapter." Pushkin. "He (Onegin) knew enough Latin to disassemble the epigraphs." Pushkin.

Culturology. Reference dictionary

Epigraph

(Greek epigraphe - inscription)

1) in antiquity, an inscription on a monument, a building;

2) quotation, dictum, proverb placed by the author in front of the text of the entire fictional (publicistic) work or part of it. The epigraph explains the main idea of ​​the work or its assessment, expressed by a more authoritative person.

Terminological dictionary-thesaurus on literary criticism

Epigraph

(from Greek epigraphe - an inscription) - a quote, a saying, a proverb placed by the author before the text of an artistic (publicistic, scientific) work or part of it. The epigraph explains the main conflict, theme, idea or mood of the work, contributing to its perception by the reader.

RB: Composition and plot

Ass: idea, prologue

Example: "Vengeance is mine, and I will repay" (epigraph to L. Tolstoy's novel "Anna Karenina")

* "A.S. Pushkin in" Captain's daughter"uses excerpts from folk songs, from the works of Kheraskov, Knyazhnin and other authors "(V. Kozlovsky). *

Gasparov. Records and extracts

Epigraph

♦ Composer Gadzhiev wrote the composition, rewriting Shostakovich and only ornamental in the Eastern style. This was noticed, the plagiarism case arose, he hurried to Sh. And brought a note: "I confirm that G.'s work has nothing to do with mine" - Shostakovich signed everything to keep them behind. This note should have been printed as an epigraph when Gadzhiev was composing, but where it is is now unknown.

Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language (Alabugin)

Epigraph

A, m.

A quote or saying containing the main idea of ​​the work and placed at the beginning of the story.

* Epigraph to the composition. *

Design. Glossary of terms

Epigraph

EPIGRAPH- an inscription usually placed on a monument, building, statue, tombstone etc. Hence the "epigraphy" - the study of inscriptions carved on hard surfaces.

encyclopedic Dictionary

Epigraph

(from the Greek epigraphe - an inscription), ..

1. in antiquity, an inscription on a monument, a building ...
2. A quote, a saying, a proverb placed by the author in front of the text of the entire artistic (publicistic, scientific) work or part of it. The epigraph explains the main idea of ​​the work or characterizes it as if on behalf of another, more authoritative person (source).

Ozhegov Dictionary

EP AND GRAPH, a, m. An utterance (or quotation) pre-sent to a work (or part of it, a chapter) and concentrating thought on its idea. E. to the novel.

| adj. epigraphic, oh, oh (special).

Efremova's Dictionary

Epigraph

m.
Short text, quotation, dictum, placed by the author in front of his work
or before a separate part of it and characterizing their main idea.

Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Epigraph

(Greek επιγραφή - "inscription") - a quote placed at the head of an essay or part of it in order to indicate its spirit, its meaning, the author's attitude towards it, etc. became a manner, fell out of use, then resurrected. In the first half of the last century, they willingly shone as an expression of erudition and the ability to apply someone else's thought in a new sense. Known E. in "Esprit des Lois" Montesquieu - "Prolem sine maire creatam", to "Histoire nature l le" Buffon - "Naturam amplectimur omnem", E. mottos of Rousseau ("Vitam impendere vero"), Bernardin-de Saint- Pierre ("Miseris succurrere disco"). We know E. Pushkin to the second chapter of "Eugene Onegin" - "Oh, rus. Oh, Russia", Gogol to "The Inspector General" - "There is no need to blame the mirror, if the face is crooked", Lev Tolstoy to "Anna Karenina" - " Vengeance is mine and I will repay ", Turgenev to" Faust "-" Entbehren sollst du, sollst entbehren ", Dostoevsky to" Demons ", Schiller in" Song of the Bell "(and Herzen to" The Bell "):" Vivos voco, mortuos p lango, fulgura frango ".

A. Gornfeld.

Russian dictionaries