Liste de Mots Niveau C2 - Literature

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

synecdoque

villainous character who strongly opposes another person or thing

antagoniste, adversaire

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

protagoniste

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

récit-cadre

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

concept

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

hyperbole

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

épigraphe

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

recueil

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

roman policier, polar

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

codex

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

parabole

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

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

allégorie

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

allusion

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

abrègement

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

personnage en miroir, personnage de contraste

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

oxymoron

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

préfiguration

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

métafiction

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

roman d'apprentissage, roman de formation

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

élégie

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

cacophonie

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

thème

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

comparaison

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

éclogue

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

redevance, droits d'auteur

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

illogisme

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

canonique

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

épistolaire