1. (n.) A short poem or paradoxical statement treating a single thought or event\. The modern epigram is so contrived as to surprise the reader with a witticism or ingenious turn of thought, and is often satirical in character.

2. (n.) An effusion of wit; a bright thought tersely and sharply expressed, whether in verse or prose.

3. (n.) The style of the epigram.

Atticism English sonnet Horatian ode Italian sonnet Petrarchan sonnet Pindaric ode Sapphic ode Shakespearean sonnet abridgment adage alba ana anacreontic analects aphorism apophthegm apothegm axiom balada ballad ballade bon mot boutade bright idea bright thought brilliant idea bucolic byword canso catchword chanson clerihew collected sayings conceit crack current saying dictate dictum dirge distich dithyramb double entendre eclogue elegy epic epithalamium epode epopee epopoeia epos equivoque expression facetiae flash of wit flight of wit georgic ghazel gibe gnome golden saying haiku happy thought idyll jeu de mots jingle limerick lyric madrigal maxim monody moral mot motto narrative poem nasty crack nursery rhyme ode oracle palinode paronomasia pastoral pastoral elegy pastorela pastourelle persiflage phrase pithy saying play of wit play on words pleasantry poem precept prescript prothalamium proverb proverbial saying proverbs pun quip quips and cranks repartee retort rhyme riposte rondeau rondel roundel roundelay sally satire saw saying scintillation sentence sententious expression sestina sloka smart crack smart saying snappy comeback song sonnet sonnet sequence stock saying stroke of wit sutra tanka teaching tenso tenzone text threnody triolet troubadour poem turn of phrase turn of thought verse verselet versicle villanelle virelay wisdom wisdom literature wise saying wisecrack witticism word words of wisdom