C2-Wortliste - Literature

a figure of speech in which a part of something represents the whole or vice versa

Synekdoche

villainous character who strongly opposes another person or thing

Antagonist, Widersacher

the main character in a movie, novel, TV show, etc.

Protagonist, Hauptfigur

a literary technique in which an introductory narrative serves as a frame for another story or a series of shorter stories

Rahmenerzählung, Rahmengeschichte

an elaborate image or a far-fetched metaphor, used in poetry

ausgeklügelte Metapher, anspruchsvolles Bild

a technique used in speech and writing to exaggerate the extent of something

Hyperbel, Übertreibung

a short quotation or phrase that is written at the beginning of a book or any chapter of it, suggesting the theme

Epigraph, Zitat

a collection of various items, such as literary pieces, poems, letters, etc., gathered from different sources

Mischung, Vielfalt

a story, play, movie, etc. about a mystery or murder that the audience cannot solve until the end

Kriminalroman, Mordgeschichte

an ancient book, written by hand, especially of scriptures, classics, etc.

Kodex, Manuskript

a brief symbolic story that is told to send a moral or religious message

Parabel, Allegorie

the use of a word with two senses each of which apply to a different word in a sentence, as a figure of speech

Zeugma, zeugma

a story, poem, etc. in which the characters and events are used as symbols to convey moral or political lessons

Allegorie

a statement that implies or indirectly mentions something or someone else, especially as a literary device

Allusion, Anspielung

a concise version of a lengthy play, novel, etc.

Abkürzung, Kürzung

a character in a story who contrasts with another character, typically the protagonist, in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character

Gegenspieler, Kontrastfigur

a figure of speech that combines two contradictory or contrasting terms to create a unique expression

Oxymoron, Widerspruch

the act of giving a clue of the future events to the audience in advance while narrating a story

Vorahnung, Vorbedeutung

the act of placing two things side by side to produce a contrasting effect

Juxtaposition

a literary genre that uses self-reflexive techniques to draw attention to its status as a work of fiction, blurring the lines between reality and fiction

Metafiktion

a novel that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of its main character from youth to adulthood

Bildungsroman, Erziehungsroman

a song or poem expressing sadness, especially in the memory of a dead person or a bitter event in the past

Elegie, Trauergedicht

a literary device that uses a mixture of unpleasant, inharmonious, and harsh sounds to show disorder or chaos

Kakophonie

a subject, idea, or phrase that is repeatedly used in a literary work

Motiv

a word or phrase that compares two things or people, highlighting the similarities, often introduced by 'like' or 'as'

Vergleich, Simile

a form of poetry that originated in ancient Greek and Roman literature, typically consisting of a short, pastoral poem or dialogue between two shepherds

Ekloge

a payment made to the author or creator of a work for each copy of the work that is sold

Lizenzgebühr, Urheberrecht

a literary device in which the answer to a question is not logical, creating an absurd or comic effect

non sequitur, non sequitur (Substantiv)

(of an author or literary work) accepted as highly acclaimed authors or pieces of literature, which are collectively referred to as the literary canon

kanonisch, zum Kanon gehörend

(literature) relating to a form of work that uses letters or written documents as the primary mode of communication among fictional characters

epistolisch