Kurzgefaßte Deutsche Stilistik

A compact yet thorough guide to German stylistics, this work was first issued in 1907 and has been carefully reproduced to preserve its original phrasing and typographic quirks. Designed for upper‑class school students, it presents the essential principles of good style—clarity, correctness, brevity, and appropriateness—without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary detail. The introduction also links style to broader artistic concepts, showing how language fits into the larger picture of cultural expression.

The text is organized into three main sections. After defining style, it explores general rules for effective writing, from vivid imagery and figurative language to the mechanics of simple and compound sentences. A later part delves into special styles—prose, poetry, intellectual and emotional tones—and offers concrete exercises, a concise treatment of word order, and a practical guide to verb, adjective, and preposition governance. Listeners will gain a solid foundation for crafting clear, lively German prose and for understanding the historic conventions that still shape modern usage.