“Epigraph” is based on the Greek “ἐπιγραφή” (“epigraphḗ”), meaning “inscription.” Though the original epigraphs were inscribed upon solid physical works, such as statues, buildings, and coins, the modern usage of “epigraph” mostly refers to short quotes at the beginning of books or chapters, intended to suggest relevant themes. One of the most notable epigraphs in modern literature is the quote from Gertrude Stein that precedes Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises”: “You are all a lost generation.” That epigraph took on a life of its own as “the lost generation” was adopted to describe people struggling to find meaning after World War I, like those in Hemingway’s novel.