Exercise II. Indicate the type of climax.

Exercise II. Indicate the type of climax.

Pay attention to its structure and the semantics of its components:

 1. He saw clearly that the best thing was a cover story or camouflage. As he wondered and wondered what to do, he first rejected a stop as impossible, then as improbable, then as quite dreadful. (W.G.)

He wondered and wondered. As impossible, then as improbable, then as quite dreadful. It is an emotive climax.

 2. “Is it shark?” said Brody. The possibility that he at last was going to confront the fish — the beast, the monster, the nightmare — made Brody’s heart pound. (P.B.)

The beast, the monster, the nightmare. It is an emotive type of climax.

 3. If he had got into the gubernatorial primary on his own hook, he would have taken a realistic view. But this was different. He had been called. He had been touched. He had been summoned. (R.W.)

He had been called. He had been touched. He had been summoned. It is a quantitative types of climax.

 4. We were all in аll tо one another, it was the morning of life, it was bliss, it was frenzy, it was everything else of that sort in the highest degree. (D.)

It was the morning of life, it was bliss, it was frenzy, it was everything else. It is a quantitative types of climax.

 5. Like a well, like a vault, like a tomb, the prison had no knowledge of the brightness outside. (D.)

Like a well, like a vault, like a tomb. It is also a quantitative types of climax.

 6. “I shall be sorry, I shall be truly sorry to leave you, my friend.” (D.)

I shall be sorry, I shall be truly sorry. It is an emotive type of climax.

 7. “Of course it’s important. Incredibly, urgently, desperately important.” (D.S.)

Incredibly, urgently, desperately. It is an emotive type of climax.

 8. “I never told you about that letter Jane Crofut got from her minister when she was sick. He wrote Jane a letter and on the envelope the address was like this: Jane Crofut; The Crofut Farm; Graver’s Corners; Sutton County; New Hampshire; United States of America.” “What’s funny about it?” “But listen, it’s not finished: the United States of America; Continent of North America; Western Hemisphere; the Earth; the Solar System; the Universe; the Mind of God — that’s what it said on the envelope.” (Th.W.)

The United States of America; Continent of North America; Western Hemisphere; the Earth; the Solar System; the Universe; the Mind of God. It is an emotive type of climax.

 9. “You have heard of Jefferson Brick, I see. Sir,” quoth the Colonel with a smile. “England has heard of Jefferson Brick. Europe has heard of Jefferson Brick.” (D.)

“England has heard of Jefferson Brick. Europe has heard of Jefferson Brick.” It is a quantitative types of climax.

10. After so many kisses and promises — the lie given to her dreams, her words, the lie given to kisses, hours, days, weeks, months of unspeakable bliss. (Dr.)

Hours, days, weeks, months. It is an emotive type of climax.

11. For that one instant there was no one else in the room, in the house, in the world, besides themselves. (M.W.)

In the room, in the house, in the world. It is an emotive type of climax.

12. Fledgeby hasn’t heard of anything. “No, there’s not a word of news,” says Lammle. “Not a particle,” adds Boots. “Not an atom,” chimes in Brewer. (D.)

“No, there’s not a word of news,” says Lammle. “Not a particle,” adds Boots. “Not an atom,” chimes in Brewer. It is an emotive type of climax.

13. Women have a wonderful instinct about things. They can discover everything except the obvious. (O.W.)

There is an anticlimax. They can discover everything except the obvious.

14. This was appalling — and soon forgotten. (G.)

There is an anticlimax. To stress the abruptness of the change emphatic punctuation (hyphen) is used between the ascending and the descending parts.

15. He was unconsolable — for an afternoon. (G.)

There is an anticlimax. It suddenly interrupted by an unexpected turn of the thought which defeats expectations of the reader.

16. In moments of utter crises my nerves act in the most extraordinary way. When utter disaster seems imminent, my whole being is simultaneously braced to avoid it. I size up the situation in a flash, set my teeth, contract my muscles, take a firm grip of myself, and without a tremor always do the wrong thing. (B.Sh.)

I size up the situation in a flash, set my teeth, contract my muscles, take a firm grip of myself. It is a quantitative types of climax.