Final answer:
An epigraph is a brief quote at the beginning of a literary work hinting at the theme; it alters perceptions especially in elegies, which are poems memorializing the dead. The tone of opening lines in poems about death can be heavily influenced by the writer's style and cultural background.
Step-by-step explanation:
An epigraph is a brief quotation used at the beginning of a literary work to suggest its theme. For instance, T.S. Eliot's 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' opens with an epigraph from Dante's Inferno, setting a precedent for the themes explored in the poem. When considering epigraphs in the context of elegies, which are poems written to commemorate or mourn a death, these serve as a guiding lens through which we understand the poet's intentions and the poem's tone. For example, the epigraph could contribute to the somber or reflective atmosphere of an elegy, or it might contrast the theme of death with a quote that has a different tone or subject matter, shedding new light on the poem's message.
The opening lines of poems about death can differ greatly based on the poet's style, intent, and cultural influences. Reading Kipling's works alongside hymns could reveal significant differences in their approach to the conventional elegy form. This exploration of elegy could uncover the unique voice and thematic concerns of the poets, each of whom brings their own perspective to the universal subject of death.