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snail shell whorls and shattered pearls

English translation: Yes, they are allusions/metaphors

15:38 Dec 3, 2017
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Novel
English term or phrase: snail shell whorls and shattered pearls
I tipped my head back and closed my eyes. I pictured a sky. It was blue
black, soft and dense as fur. Across and over the expanse of night, into the
velvet depths of it, light was scattered, enough for a thousand darknesses.
Patterns revealed themselves; "the eye, exquisitely dazzled, sought out snail shell
whorls and shattered pearls, gods and beasts and planets". As we stood
still, yet we rotated, and, whilst turning, moved in a larger circle, round and
round the sun, and oh, the dizzying momentum of it . . .

Does the sentence marked with quotation has any figurative, metaphorical meaing or any kind of allusion?
Shaghayegh Savadkoohi
Iran
Local time: 14:36
Selected answer:Yes, they are allusions/metaphors
Explanation:
As Kristal has pointed out, the gods and beasts are constellations. The snail-shell whorls are probably galaxies, and the shattered pearls could be planets that have broken up.

That said, if you're translating this into Farsi, you should probably keep it literal and let readers figure it out for themselves.
Selected response from:

philgoddard
United States
Grading comment
Now it makes sense. Thank u very much.
Good point to mention (literal translation).
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
3 +5snail shell whorls and shattered pearls
Kristal Fellinger
4 +3Yes, they are allusions/metaphors
philgoddard


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +5
snail shell whorls and shattered pearls


Explanation:
I don't believe the first part has any metaphorical meaning; it just means that his eye finds patterns in the clouds that look like the swirls on snail shells or the glitter of shattered pearls. If anything, I think the words are used for the rhythmic rhyming quality of the words "whorls" and "pearls". As far as "gods and beasts and planets," this would seem to reference the gods and beasts seen in astrological imagery in general, but I don't think it has any specific allusion or meaning. Hope this helps!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2017-12-03 17:54:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Thank you to the others who pointed out my error. I should more accurately have said "his eye finds patterns in the night sky".

Kristal Fellinger
Germany
Local time: 13:06
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank u Kristal. P.s: It's a she, not a he, so "her eye finds..."


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jack Doughty
5 mins
agree  Mark Nathan: it seems to be a direct visual image, but there is also possibly a suggestion of creation, the origins of the universe etc.
57 mins
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: not to do with clouds but light patterns "dazzled" (stars/planets of night sky), "gods and beasts and planets" are probably astronomical: Pluto, Jupiter, Ursus minor/major, Aquila etc.
1 hr
agree  Tina Vonhof (X): Without knowing what came before these seem to me just images without any connection, unless maybe a fleeting one, to anything that exists in reality. It depends how you interpret it. The writing is beautiful, more like a poem.
8 hrs
agree  Neeraj Jain
6 days
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Yes, they are allusions/metaphors


Explanation:
As Kristal has pointed out, the gods and beasts are constellations. The snail-shell whorls are probably galaxies, and the shattered pearls could be planets that have broken up.

That said, if you're translating this into Farsi, you should probably keep it literal and let readers figure it out for themselves.

philgoddard
United States
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 50
Grading comment
Now it makes sense. Thank u very much.
Good point to mention (literal translation).

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Herbmione Granger: Astronomical things, strongly suggested by the revolving around the sun. Shattered pearls could be asteroids.
14 mins
agree  Kristal Fellinger: Actually, as I read this yet again, I agree with this interpretation as well.
48 mins
  -> Thanks! I must admit I didn't pick up on it immediately.
agree  Natalia Potashnik
5 hrs
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