CEFR C2 Vocabulary - Literature

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

villainous character who strongly opposes another person or thing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

a novel or literary genre that focuses on the personal and moral growth and development of the protagonist, often from childhood to adulthood, with an emphasis on psychological and social growth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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