aphorisms versus epigrams

Aphorisms and epigrams are both witty and/or pithy sayings, but they differ in their application to the world. An epigram, for which Lichtenberg’s professor Kästner was noted, is a witty saying having to do with a particular situation, while an aphorism is a witty maxim that contains a broad pearl of wisdom.

Here are a couple of examples that let you see the difference between the two concepts.

An epigram by the British poet John Dryden (Epitaph intended for his wife, from The Poems of John Dryden):

Here lies my wife:here let her lie!
Now she's at rest, and so am I. 

An aphorism by the French composer Hector Berlioz:

Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils.