General Literary Terms Explained (Part 2) — Advanced Definitions Every Student Should Know (JAMB/WAEC)

This is Part 2 of our General Literary Terms series, covering a further set of literary terms beyond the foundational ones in Part 1 — including several terms specifically associated with the structure of classical tragedy, along with additional poetic and genre-related vocabulary.

 These terms are regularly tested in JAMB and WAEC Literature-in-English, both as direct definitions and as concepts you’re expected to apply when discussing a set text.

Quick takeaways

• Peripeteia, anagnorisis, tragic flaw (hamartia), and catharsis are closely linked terms describing the structure of classical tragedy, and often appear together in the same question.
• A parable teaches a moral lesson using human characters, while a fable (covered in Part 1) typically uses animal characters.
• An archetype is a recurring character type or pattern — like “the hero” — that appears across many different works.
• Tercet and quatrain refer to stanza length (three lines and four lines respectively), while caesura refers to a pause within a single line.
• Burlesque and hendiadys are less common terms but are tested precisely because they’re less familiar — learn them with a clear example each.

What is a tragic flaw, and how does it relate to catharsis and anagnorisis in Literary Terms?

These three terms describe key moments in the structure of a classical tragedy, and they’re often tested together:

• Tragic flaw (hamartia) — a character weakness or error in judgment that leads directly to the protagonist’s downfall
• Anagnorisis (often shortened to “ana”) — the moment of critical discovery or recognition, where a character learns something previously hidden, often about their own identity or situation
• Catharsis — the emotional release or purging of feelings, particularly pity and fear, experienced by the audience through witnessing the tragedy unfold

A helpful way to remember the sequence: the tragic flaw drives the character toward their downfall, anagnorisis is the moment they (or the audience) recognize the truth, and catharsis is the emotional release the audience feels by the end.

What is a parable, and how is it different from a fable?

A parable is a short, simple story, usually featuring human characters, designed to teach a moral or spiritual lesson. This is a useful term to contrast with fable (covered in Part 1), which teaches a similar kind of lesson but typically uses animal characters instead of human ones. Exam questions sometimes test this exact distinction, so it’s worth learning the two terms together.

What is an archetype?

An archetype is a recurring character type, symbol, or pattern that appears across many different literary works and represents universal human experiences — for example, “the hero,” “the mentor,” or “the trickster.” 

Recognizing archetypes can help you compare characters across different set texts, even when the specific stories are very different.

What are burlesque and hendiadys?

• Burlesque is a comic technique that mocks its subject either by treating something trivial with exaggerated seriousness, or by treating something serious with ridicule and triviality.
• Hendiadys is a figure of speech in which two words joined by “and” express a single complex idea, such as saying “nice and warm” instead of “nicely warm.”

Both terms are less commonly known than devices like simile or metaphor, which is exactly why they’re worth memorizing carefully — examiners sometimes include a less familiar term specifically to separate well-prepared students from the rest.

What do tercet, quatrain, caesura, and prologue mean?

• Tercet — a stanza or group of three lines in a poem
• Quatrain — a stanza or group of four lines in a poem
• Caesura — a natural pause or break occurring within a line of poetry, often near the middle
• Prologue — an introductory section of a literary work, placed before the main action, that provides background or context for what follows

Tercet and quatrain describe stanza length, while caesura describes a pause within a single line — a distinction worth being precise about, since they’re easy to mix up under exam pressure.

Common mistakes students make with these terms

• Confusing peripeteia (a reversal of fortune) with anagnorisis (a moment of recognition) — the two are related but distinct
• Mixing up parable (human characters) and fable (animal characters)
• Confusing tercet and quatrain (stanza length) with caesura (a pause within a line)
• Forgetting that hamartia specifically refers to the character’s own flaw or error, not external bad luck

Frequently asked questions

Q: What is the difference between peripeteia and anagnorisis? 

Peripeteia is a sudden reversal of fortune in the plot, while anagnorisis is the moment a character discovers or recognizes something previously hidden, often about their own identity — the two frequently occur close together in classical tragedy.

Q: What is catharsis? 

Catharsis is the emotional release, particularly of pity and fear, that an audience experiences through witnessing a tragedy.

Q: What is the difference between a parable and a fable? 

A parable is a short story that teaches a moral or spiritual lesson using human characters, while a fable teaches a lesson typically using animal characters.

Q: What is the difference between a tercet and a quatrain? 

A tercet is a stanza or group of three lines in a poem, while a quatrain is a stanza or group of four lines.

Q: What is an archetype? 

An archetype is a recurring character type, symbol, or pattern — such as “the hero” or “the mentor” — that appears across different literary works and represents universal human experiences.

Missed Part 1? Start with the foundational literary terms lesson →

This is one topic from our full JAMB & WAEC Literature-in-English course — see everything covered →