29 Epigraph

The idea that such an epigraph, most often develops when reading small (usually in a few lines) texts, which open some artistic, scientific works. Epigraphs are prosaic and poetic. The content of them represents any generally valid thought, eternal truth, the requirement of the law, etc., a brief summary of which becomes an epigraph. If you look at the epigraph from the point of view of the logic of the plan, say, the author of the same book, then it (the plan) appears to be the main thesis, which is revealed, detailed, argued, filled with concrete vital material in the development of artistic narration.

Epigraph as a special genre is present on the pages of the periodical press. Here he performs approximately the same role as in literary, artistic or scientific work. It can be considered akin to a commentary (in analytical journalism) or an evaluative judgment (in information journalism) a genre (their “clone”). The difference between an epigraph and a comment is that it (in an epigraph) usually lacks documentary facts. The epigraph differs from the elementary value judgment, which can be presented in the form of an information note, fixing the assessment of a specific phenomenon and not claiming to be universally significant, by the focus on generalization.

Against the background of other genres, including artistic and journalistic, the epigraph may look relatively modest (first of all, in terms of the importance of the task solved with its help). Nevertheless, in some cases, this genre is very useful. It is, for example, necessary not only when it is necessary to set an emotional mood, for example, perception of a newspaper strip, but also when there is a need to unite some separate materials with one thought, to present them as evidence in favor of some important point of view, position the author or publication, expressed in relation to those topics, problems that precede and which the epigraph displays in a generalized form.

See also

• Reportage
• 15 Review