Question: I was wondering what the correct word would be for a sentence that is tightly packed with meaning. For example, a good aphorism. An aphorism is short, but has a lot of meaning behind it and requires considerable thought in order to understand it.

I thought of the word *dense* (as in "this is a very dense passage that takes some time to understand"). But in my mind, *dense* implies that its more technical and difficult to read. I'm trying to describe a simple passage that has a lot of meaning behind it. For example, a passage like this:

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> We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it. The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely. (The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde)
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Edit: Just for more context. I sent the preface of *The Picture of Dorian Grey* to a friend, he quickly read it and said that he didn't understand it, and I said "you have to think about it, that page is really dense." I need a word to replace dense in that context.

Answer: 
I think I found an answer to my own question:

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> **Pithy** adjective
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> brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression; full of vigor,
>  substance, or meaning
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***Epigram*** — [Dictionary.com](http://www.dictionary.com/browse/epigram)

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> 1. any witty, ingenious, or pointed saying tersely expressed.
> 2. epigrammatic expression:
>  *Oscar Wilde had a genius for epigram.*
> 3. a short, often satirical poem dealing concisely with a single subject and usually ending with a witty or ingenious turn of thought.
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Or, ***pearls of wisdom*** perhaps. — [TFD](http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/a+pearl+of+wisdom) 

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> an important piece of advice 
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> Usage notes: This phrase is usually used humorously to mean the opposite.  
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> *"Thank you for that pearl of wisdom, Jerry. Now do you think you could suggest something more useful?"*
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