Literary notes about Epitome (AI summary)
In literature, the term "epitome" is used to denote both a condensed summary and a perfect or ideal example of a broader concept. It appears in contexts where an author wishes to present a succinct abridgment of a larger work or thought—capturing extensive narratives, philosophical doctrines, or historical accounts in a compact form ([1], [2], [3]). At the same time, "epitome" often functions metaphorically to symbolize the quintessential nature of a character, an era, or an artistic style, effectively embodying its most significant qualities ([4], [5], [6]). This dual usage illustrates the word’s versatility in expressing both the art of summarization and the representation of an ideal, concentrated essence ([7], [8], [9]).
- The Bilingual Canterbury Epitome (British Museum, Cotton MS.
— from The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle - His Institutes are quoted by Servius, Boethius, Priscian, &c.; and the Epitome by Arrian is still extant.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - The tenth was another orator, who is mentioned by Aristotle in his Epitome of the Orators.
— from The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers by Diogenes Laertius - (1) In childhood man is sensitive as a wind harp to all natural influences; he is an epitome of the gladness and beauty of the world.
— from English Literature by William J. Long - It is as if a fragment of England floated forward to greet the foreigner—chalk of our chalk, turf of our turf, epitome of what will follow.
— from Howards End by E. M. Forster - Bunyan's life is an epitome of that astonishing religious individualism which marked the close of the English Reformation.
— from English Literature by William J. Long - In Paul’s epitome of S. Pomponius Festus, de verborum Significatione , we find “ Min-erva dicta quod bene moneat .”
— from The Oera Linda Book, from a Manuscript of the Thirteenth Century - For children are an epitome of life—a self-creating universe.
— from The Extra Day by Algernon Blackwood - This beautiful tower is an epitome of Italian Gothic art.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson
