What if it heaved with gleaming cities

10:30 Jan 5, 2012 

Hello,

Although there are already many good suggestions, somehow I'm still wondering about your question. I guess it's the fact that it is so short and so decontextualised that makes it so puzzling.

In your comment, you said "the author describes what a beautiful world looked like" but it seems strange to me because when you have "what if + past tense", does it not indicate that the condition which is introduced is unreal ? (English speakers please correct me if I'm wrong).

"What if it heaved with gleaming cities" makes me think the author talks about how he sees the future, not the past.

Did you mean "the author describes what a beautiful world will look like/would look like".

The other puzzling thing is the opposition between "gleaming" and the rather pejorative "heaving", as stressed by Tony M. You're sure you don't have any more context?

Bon "je coupe les cheveux en quatre", and you've probably moved forward, but hey, if you have a minute ...

Thanks!