Epitaph for William Pitt

Epitaph for William Pitt - form Summary

Ironic Epitaphic Compression

This short epitaph uses the formal constraints of a funerary inscription to deliver a swift, ironic moral judgment. In only four lines Byron compresses narrative and wordplay so that the contrast between "lied" and "lies" becomes central. The epitaph’s brevity and public, commemorative mode force the reader to register the satirical reversal immediately, turning what would be a respectful memorial into pointed social commentary.