Epitaph
A short text written in memory of a dead person — often inscribed on a tombstone.
An epitaph is a short commemorative text honouring a dead person, usually inscribed on a tombstone or monument. Some are factual; most aim at poetry. The compression of the form — a few words, made to last — has produced some of the most quoted lines in any language.
The genre runs from Greek anthology epitaphs and Roman funerary inscriptions through Shakespeare's curse on his own grave ('Good frend for Iesvs sake forbeare') to modern epitaphs designed by their subjects (Mel Blanc: 'That's all, folks').
When attributing an epitaph as a quote, name both the deceased and, where known, the writer; the two are often different.
“Cast a cold eye on life, on death. Horseman, pass by!”
Keep reading the glossary
A short, sharp statement that compresses a truth or observation into a single line.
A speech of praise for someone who has died, often the source of widely-quoted lines.
A 2,000-year-old practice of distilling ethical instruction into short, repeatable lines.
A personal notebook of quotations, ideas, and passages — a tradition stretching from antiquity to today.