Lexical level lexical Stylistic Devices

Climax (Gradation, градация) and Anticlimax
Another type of semantically complicated parallelism is presented by climax, in which each next word combination (clause, sentence) is logically more important or emotionally stronger and more explicit: "Better to borrow, better to beg, better to die!" (D.) "I am firm, thou art obstinate, he is pig-headed." (B.Ch.) If to create antithesis we use antonyms (or their contextual equivalents), in climax we deal with strings of synonyms or at least semantically related words belonging to the same thematic group.
The opposite device is called anticlimax, in which case the final element is obviously weaker in degree, of lower in status than the previous; it usually creates a humorous effect:
Music makes one feel so romantic – at least it gets on one's nerves, which is the same thing nowadays. (O.W.)
People that have tried it tell me that a clean conscience makes you very happy and contented. But a full stomach does the thing just as well. (Jerome)
The autocrat of Russia possesses more power than any other man on earth, but he cannot stop a sneeze. (M. T.)
Exercise II. Pay attention to the structure and the semantics of climax 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.)
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.)
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.)
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.)
5. Like a well, like a vault, like a tomb, the prison had no knowledge of the brightness outside. (D.)
6. "I shall be sorry, I shall be truly sorry to leave you, my friend." (D.)
7. "Of course it's important. Incredibly, urgently, desperately important." (D.S.)
8. "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.)
9. 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.)