The epigraph is simply a well-chosen quotation, set at the beginning of a text. Epigraphs can open essays, books, chapters of a book, or even each story in a … What Is an Epigraph? - thoughtco.com (1) An epigraph is a brief motto or quotation set at the beginning of a text (a book, a chapter of a book, a thesis or dissertation, an essay, a poem), usually to suggest its theme. Adjective: epigraphic. (The Christian Writer's Manual of Style, 2004).