General terms for increasing intensity:
* Climax: This refers to the highest point of intensity in a story, often a turning point where the conflict reaches its peak.
* Rising action: This describes the events leading up to the climax, where the tension and excitement gradually increase.
* Suspense: This refers to the feeling of anticipation and uncertainty that builds as the intensity increases.
* Amplification: This is a rhetorical device where an author uses repetition, imagery, or other techniques to emphasize and increase the intensity of a particular idea or emotion.
More specific terms:
* Gradation: This refers to a gradual increase in intensity, often through a series of steps or stages.
* Accumulation: This involves adding details or images to a description or argument to create a sense of overwhelming intensity.
* Hyperbole: This uses exaggeration to emphasize the intensity of something.
The best term to use will depend on the specific way in which intensity is being increased in the text. Consider the following examples:
* Climax: "The storm raged with increasing fury, the wind howling like a banshee and the rain lashing down in sheets."
* Rising action: "The tension in the room grew palpable as the clock ticked down to the deadline."
* Suspense: "He crept slowly through the darkened hallway, his heart pounding in his chest, each creak of the floorboards making him jump."
* Gradation: "The pain started as a dull ache, then grew into a throbbing, and finally became a searing agony."
It's important to remember that these terms are not mutually exclusive and can often be used in combination to describe different aspects of increasing intensity in a literary work.