An aphorism is a short, pithy and a concise statement of a principle and truth while an epigram is a terse, sage, or witty often a paradoxical saying. An epigrammatic style refers to the use of epigram in a piece of writing. An epigram is a concise, clever, often paradoxical statement or line of verse. It is a short, witty statement which is graceful in style. An epigram usually ends with a surprising or witty turn of thought. Coleridge defines epigram as an epigram in itself: “Its body brevity, and wit its soul.” The epigram can be expressed in various ways such as in the epigrammatic style marked by point and brevity, emphatic assertion, indirect or concealed statement, punning, paradox etc.
An aphorism is a short, pithy and a concise statement of a principle and truth while an epigram is a terse, sage, or witty often a paradoxical saying. Bacon’s style is marked by its terseness and brevity. The terseness is often achieved by leaving out superfluous epithets, conjunctions and connectives. Every sentence in his essays is pregnant with meaning and can be expanded into several sentences. His utterances are thoughtful, insightful, lively, witty and meaningful to the core. His essay Of Studies abounds with epigrammatic sentences. Some of the famous epigrammatic sentences are quoted below:
“Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability.”
“Crafty men condemn studies; simple men admire them; and wise men use them.”
“Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.”
“Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.”
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