Each writer at one time addressed one of the eternal topics - love. Many stories are dedicated to mutual feeling. A special place in literature belongs to stories of unrequited love. Before starting the story, the writer must explain what he wants to tell the reader. The epigraph serves this purpose.
What it is?
In ancient times, this word denoted an inscription on a tombstone. Literary epigraphs appeared only in the Renaissance. Since the 19th century, they began to be placed both at the beginning of the work, and before each chapter. A well-chosen epigraph is a sign of the author's education. Skilfully applied epigraphs about love were such writers as Pushkin, Turgenev, Tolstoy, Gogol.
This technique is used for the following purposes:
- to highlight the main idea of the plot;
- preliminary familiarization with the spirit of the work;
- emphasizing the main mood of the book;
- expressions of personal attitude to the described events.
Epigraphs of writers about love
For example, we cite a number of authors who skillfully use epigraphs. Richard Yeats used John Keats quote for “The Road to Change” - “The flesh languished with tenderness, now with violence.” Mary Westmacot in her work “Rose and Tees” used the quote of Thomas Eliot - “The world is one moment of Rose and Tees”.
Jonathan Carol, as an epigraph to the novel “White Apples”, took a phrase stating that death, sleep, love have one motive, and a hot kiss takes them away. Frederic Begdeder, who wrote “Love lives for three years,” preceded the novel with a quote from Francoise Sagan: “Well, yes! So what? Things must be called by their proper names! A man loves, and then - does not love. "
Epigraphs about love are also present in the classics of Russian literature. Sholokhov for the novel "Quiet Flows the Don" wrote words from a Cossack folk song. It says how difficult the proportion of Kuban Cossacks is during the war, which takes thousands of lives, leaving children orphans and women widows.
Pushkin wrote the following words for the novel "Dubrovsky":
“You could take revenge
But revenge is low
When the subject of your love is
That meek creature ... "
The "Bakhchisarai Fountain" begins with an epigraph, which is taken from the work of Saadi. In it, the Persian poet says: “Many visited this fountain. But there are no others, others wander far away. ”
Bulgakov took the dialogue from Goethe’s Faust in the novel “The Master and Margarita”:
“- So who are you, finally?”
- I'm part of that power
That eternally wants evil and does good. ”
Thoughts of the great
Epigraphs about love, in fact, are quotes from great writers. The relatively high feeling of Paulo Coelho is expressed in this way: "Love is not in the other, but in ourselves, and we ourselves awaken it." Dostoevsky believed that to love means to see a person as God created him. Lermontov argued that love has no boundaries. Oscar Ould believed that a woman needs to be loved, not understood.
Confucius could not imagine life without love. Leo Tolstoy said that love is a great gift. "It can be presented, and yet it will remain with you." Bunin claimed that all love is great happiness, even if it is not divided. This epigraph about unrequited love states that the ability to show a deep feeling is a basic human need.
All these statements are summarized by verses of the Azerbaijani poet Nizami:
The lover is blind.
But passion is a visible trace
It leads him, where there is no move for the sighted.
From the history
Epigraphs often went into fashion, became a manner, went out of use. They are used in literature, music, cinema. The ability to pick up someone else's thought for a new work is also a sign of the author's wit. Epigraphs about love not only bring the reader up to date, but also embody life wisdom. The ability to use them in their works is subject only to high talent.