[Maryann Corbett]

passing this on from my e-mail inbox:

"WHILE AN APHORISM aims to express universal truth, the goal of an epigram is brevity, wit, and longevity.
Epigrams often take the form of rhyming couplets, and one written by Coleridge expresses its role well:

What is an Epigram? A dwarfish whole;
Its body brevity, and wit its soul.
Oscar Wilde, however, produced a vast collection of nonrhyming epigrams:

“I can resist everything except temptation.”

“Scandal is gossip made tedious by morality.”

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.”

This week, Puzzler challenges you to an epigram competition.

Send your epigrams to Puzzler by Monday noon, Pacific standard time. You may send as many epigrams as you wish."

The address is: puzzler@narrativemagazine.com

[Marion Shore]

Originally Posted by Maryann Corbett

passing this on from my e-mail inbox:

"... the goal of an epigram is brevity, wit, and longevity."

Is this an epigram? I don't think so, as it has only the first of the three attributes listed above.


Don't cheat on me, dear. It's not that I'm jealous.
I just wouldn't wish you on anyone elous.

[Roger Slater]

I love that, Marion! Brilliant.

[Marion Shore]

Thanks, Bob. But it's still not an epigram, is it? Aren't epigrams supposed to have a certain--well--dignity, that this one seriously lacks...especially with that godawful pun?

[Zita Zenda]

How about this for you, Marion,

One woman’s cheating man is another woman’s cheating man.

[FOsen]

If you can’t attain brevity, wit, or longevity,
you may still get some points by engendering levity.

Frank