Climax (figure Of Speech)

Information about Climax (figure Of Speech)

In rhetoric, climax is a figure of speech, in which words, phrases, or clauses are arranged in order of increasing importance. It is sometimes used with anadiplosis, which uses the repetition of a word or phrase in successive clauses.

Climax is from the Greek word for "ladder".

Examples:

"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." 1 Corinthians 13:13
"I think we've reached a point of great decision, not just for our nation, not only for all humanity, but for life upon the earth." George Wald A Generation in Search of a Future, March 4, 1969.
"...Lost, vaded, broken, dead within an hour. William Shakespeare, The Passionate Pilgrim, XIII

Similarly an anti-climax is an abrupt declension (either deliberate or unintended) on the part of a speaker or writer from the dignity of idea which he appeared to be aiming at; as in the following well-known distich:--

"The great Dalhousie, he, the god of war,

Lieutenant-colonel to the earl of Mar."

An anticlimax can be intentionally employed only for a jocular or satiric purpose. It frequently partakes of the nature of antithesis, as--

"Die and endow a college or a cat."

It is often difficult to distinguish between "anticlimax" and "bathos"; but the former is more decidedly a relative term. A whole speech may never rise above the level of bathos; but a climax of greater or less elevation is the necessary antecedent of an anticlimax.

References

Corbett, Edward P.J. Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student. Oxford University Press, New York, 1971.
Smyth, Herbert Weir (1920). Greek Grammar. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press, p. 677. ISBN 0-674-36250-0.

Rhetoric (from Greek ῥήτωρ, rhÃªtÃ´r, orator, teacher) is generally understood to be the art or technique of persuasion through the use of oral, visual, or written language; however, this definition of rhetoric
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A figure of speech, sometimes termed a rhetoric, or elocution, is a word or phrase that departs from straightforward, literal language. Figures of speech are often used and crafted for emphasis, freshness of expression, or clarity. However, clarity may also suffer from their use.
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Anadiplosis is a rhetorical figure of speech that means to "double back" and repeat a word or phrase that appears at the end of a sentence or clause at the beginning of the next sentence or clause. More generally, it refers to rhetorical repetition for emphasis.
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George Wald(November 18, 1906 – April 12, 1997) was an American scientist who is best known for his work with pigments in the retina. He won a share of the 1967 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Haldan Keffer Hartline and Ragnar Granit.
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William Shakespeare

The Chandos portrait, artist and authenticity unconfirmed. National Portrait Gallery, London.
Born: April 1564 (exact date unknown)
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England
Died: 23 March 1616
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England
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For the Aarni album, see .

Bathos is Greek for depth. As used in English it originally referred to a particular type of bad poetry, but it is now used more broadly to cover any ridiculous artwork or performance.
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Climax (figure Of Speech)

Information about Climax (figure Of Speech)

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References