Question

which line from act ii of the importance of being earnest is an epigram?
\i am not sure, however, that the news inspires me with feelings of unmixed delight.\
\it is always painful to part from people whom one has known for a very brief space of time.\
\you must remember his constant anxiety about that unfortunate young man his brother.\
\were i fortunate enough to be miss prisms pupil, i would hang upon her lips.\

Explanation:

An epigram is a concise, witty, and often paradoxical statement. Let's analyze each option:

• The first option is a straightforward expression of mixed feelings, not witty or paradoxical.
• The second option, "It is always painful to part from people whom one has known for a very brief space of time," is paradoxical (painful to part from people known briefly, which is unexpected as brief acquaintance might seem less impactful) and concise, fitting the epigram definition.
• The third option is a simple reminder about someone's anxiety, not epigrammatic.
• The fourth option is a compliment, not witty or paradoxical in the epigram sense.

Answer:

B. "It is always painful to part from people whom one has known for a very brief space of time."