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An epistle (/ ɪˈpɪsəl /; from Ancient Greek ἐπιστολή (epistolḗ) 'letter') is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually an elegant and formal didactic letter. The epistle genre of letter-writing was common in ancient Egypt as part of the scribal-school writing curriculum.
An epistle is a letter in the form of prose or poetry to a particular person or group. It can also be a story or a religious sermon similar to the New Testament letters written by Paul, Peter, and John to their church congregation or a small group of believers.
epistle, a composition in prose or poetry written in the form of a letter to a particular person or group. In literature there are two basic traditions of verse epistles, one derived from Horace’s Epistles and the other from Ovid’s Epistulae heroidum (better known as Heroides).
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Nov 1, 2023 · An epistle, as a literary device, refers to a written composition in the form of a letter or a written message. It serves as a distinct mode of communication within literature, often adopting a formal or stylized structure resembling real letters.
- Explanation
Apr 27, 2022 · Epistles don’t just appear in the Bible, however. They are a distinct literary genre, a moral essay of sorts, with a standard format — a greeting at start, then the main content, and closing with blessings and well wishes.
An epistle is a letter that comes in the form of either prose or poetry. It was traditionally written to express something like love or speak on an important philosophical or religious topic. The themes of these works are often lofty.
The term "epistolary novel" refers to the works of fiction that are written in the form of letters or other documents. "Epistolary" is simply the adjectival form of the noun epistle, from the Latinized Greek for letter. The letter as a written genre, of course, predates the novel itself.
