A literary work which is intended to teach a moral lesson is __________

1. Analyze the question The question asks for the term used for a literary work whose purpose is to teach a moral lesson.

2. Explain the concept Let's look at each option:

• Romantic: Relates to Romanticism, a movement that stresses emotion, imagination, nature, and individualism. It is not about moral instruction.
• Didactic: Comes from the Greek didaktikos, meaning "to teach". A didactic work is deliberately written to instruct, especially in morals or ethics. Examples include fables, parables, and proverbs.
• Mimetic: Relates to mimesis, meaning imitation. It describes literature that imitates or represents life and reality, not literature that teaches.
• Moralistic: This means preachy or overly concerned with judging others' morals. It describes an attitude or tone, not a recognized literary category. It looks tempting, but it is not the standard term.

3. Show the solution

• Purpose = to teach a moral lesson
• The literary term for a work meant to teach or instruct = didactic

Examples you may know: Aesop's fables, Nigerian folktales that end with a moral ("the moral of the story..."), and many works of Chinua Achebe or Wole Soyinka that carry social or moral lessons.

4. Answer The correct option is B. didactic.

5. Exam tip Link didactic with "didn't know, now I do", or remember didactic = teach. When a literature question mentions "teaching" or "instruction", think didactic. Also remember mimetic = mimic (imitate).