Literary Term - Chapter Nine: Epigraph

In Chapter Nine, Kurt Vonnegut talks about his epigraph for Slaughterhouse Five. An Epigraph is a quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of the theme. The epigraph of Slaughterhouse Five is "The cattle are lowing, The Baby awakes. But the little Lord Jesus No crying He makes." Vonnegut chose this quote from the famous Christmas carol, Away in the Manger, because of Billy Pilgrim's quiet and private weeping. Vonnegut said Billy Pilgrim resembled this epigraph because he saw many things worth crying about, but he didn't.