Epigrams
Emily Dickinson, aside from writing 1,775 poems, also wrote a number of
epigrams.Epigram derives from the Greek epigramma- "in-scribed"-
and it is a short meaningful saying that could be carved on a tombstone
or monument. An epigram has always stirred a feeling of deep thought with
in a person and/or culture.
It is, correspondingly, a statement that is short and insightful; it is
often considered part of a nation's inherited "wisdom." Sometimes
the word is used loosely to include all kinds of proverbs and aphorisms.
Such forms are prominent in the Upanishads and also in Russian and German
collections. The saying "An Englishman's house is his castle"
is an example of an epigram that has become familiar to us. Below are five
examples of Dickinson's masterful insights (these can be found on pages
21-25 in the New Poems of Emily Dickinson):
1) Hereafter, I will pick no Rose, 
lest it fade or prick me.
2) The sailor cannot see the North-
but knows the Needle can-
3) The heart is the only workman
we cannot excuse.
4) Gratitude is the timid wealth
of those who have nothing.
5) We must be careful what we say.
No bird resumes its egg.