CODA, EPILOGUE, PROLOGUE, AFTERWARD & CONCLUSION

At the end of a letter, there is always the option to a post script or p.s. I have often seen junior high school notes that included p.s., p.p.s., p.p.p.s. and so on as the writer offered post script after post script. The literary world has their own version of this… and yes, it does tend to feel like they are all trying to get THE last work. However, many times these “post scripts” are a way to make helpful commentary before or after the text. These commentaries often aid the reader in understanding.

The coda of a work usually restates and summarizes the themes contained in text.

An epilogue is a concluding statement. An epilogue is the opposite of a prologue, which introduces a play.

Many books have introductions written by colleagues, critics, or friends that introduce the work to the reader. These introductions can present literary criticism, an overview of the details of the author’s life, or historical information that brings understanding to the novel. Usually the introduction is not written by the author, but in some cases, it might be.

An afterward is often written many years after the original text and enlightens the reader on portions of the book. An afterward might be written by the author to offer an explanation or clarification to the text. Additionally, an afterward can clarify changes that have happened in the world or in the author’s life since the text was written. The afterward might also be written by another person who desires to offer similar conclusions.

A conclusion, however, is not written by the author, but by a scholar or author of another work. A conclusion is a place for a writer to highlight and focus the reader on certain aspects of the text. A conclusion is also a place for the scholar or writer to give his or her opinion on the text.