Apr 10, 2023 16:47
1 yr ago
67 viewers *
English term

From twinkle to twilight

English Art/Literary General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Dear colleagues,
I’m not sure about the meaning of “from twinkle to twilight” in the following two passages. Might it mean “from beginning to end”? But, if so, I don't quite understand "twinkle"..
Thank you so much for your help!

(this passage is in the Synopsis, right at the beginning of the book)

Investigating the nature of how our experience of what we often call “self” and of how the related experiences of identity and belonging emerge across the lifespan, *** from twinkle to twilight ***, this exploration combines personal reflections, lessons from contemplation and Indigenous knowledge, and findings from immersive meditative practices with scientific discussions of how the mind, brain, and relationships shape who we are and who we can become.

(This is at the end of the book, to introduce the References section)
I used the following sources in constructing this narrative, our journey together ** from twinkle to twilight. **

Discussion

haribert (asker) Apr 12, 2023:
Thank you so much, Amanda, for your beautiful interpretation!
Amanda Santos Apr 12, 2023:
What I understood from the expression was the imagery of a twinkly spark that grows over a certain amount of time and meets its inevitable resolution, metaphorically represented by "Twilight." Since there is also "lifespan" right before this expression, I believe it reinforces the idea that it is about the circle of life. So I think it's a way of saying "from birth till death," but in a way that embraces the grandeur of celestial bodies and possibly ties itself to the themes subsequently mentioned: "contemplation and Indigenous knowledge."
haribert (asker) Apr 11, 2023:
Dear Alison, thank you for your contribution! I really didn't know about the expression "twinkle in the eye"...
Alison MacG Apr 11, 2023:
Another quote from the book supporting the comments re "twinkle in the eye"

The developmental approach we will take on our journey will invite both types of knowledge: Through the lens of lifespan growth and learning, from before conception through mature adult, we will explore core issues and key aspects of the growth of our experience of self, identity, and belonging.
AllegroTrans Apr 10, 2023:
@ Bashiqa maybe, but it does also say "across the lifespan" which strongly suggests from birth to death imo
Bashiqa Apr 10, 2023:
@ Phil "across the lifespan" might indicate from the neginning of a relationship, i.e. the twinkle in the eye until the twilight years.

Responses

+6
3 mins
Selected

from beginning to end

I think the meaning is clear from the context, even if the choice of words is odd. Twinkle could mean the first light of dawn, or the twinkle of the stars just before it.
Note from asker:
Thank you so much, Phil, for your contribution!
Peer comment(s):

agree Sheri P : Also “twinkle in one’s father’s eye”
29 mins
agree Chris Says Bye
46 mins
agree Sameer Ullah : Yes i am agree "twinkle is one's father's eye"
2 hrs
agree Anastasia Kalantzi
2 hrs
neutral Andrew Bramhall : I think this is an over-simplification.
3 hrs
agree P.L.F. Persio
14 hrs
neutral Yvonne Gallagher : But it's about a lifespan? // "beginning to end" could be of anything. Too general, though asker seems to think it might fit 2nd instance
18 hrs
I don't understand your question. Yes, it says 'across a lifespan'.
agree Amanda Santos
2 days 5 hrs
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Dear Phil, thank you so much for your help! Many sincere thanks also to all other contributors, especially for helping me understand the possible link with "twinkle in the father's eye" Have a nice weekend!"
+4
23 mins

from birth to death

the human lifespan
Note from asker:
Thank you so much for your help! I also thought "from birth to death", and maybe I could say that in the former occurrence, but in the latter, maybe it is more along the lines of "beginning to end", because the author seems to refer only to the journey (a metaphor for the book)...
Peer comment(s):

agree Sheri P
9 mins
thanks
neutral philgoddard : I don't see how "the lifespan from birth to death" is different to "the lifespan from beginning to end".
42 mins
just a different way of expressing the same idea?
neutral Andrew Bramhall : I don't think this is the actual meaning;
3 hrs
thanks
agree Claudia Podio
12 hrs
thanks
agree Tony M : Yes, 'twinkle' is often used as a euphemism for the desire that led to conception, while 'twilight of their years' suggests old age, if not actual death. And 'life' is often described as a 'journey'.
16 hrs
thanks
agree Yvonne Gallagher
18 hrs
Thanks
Something went wrong...
-2
2 hrs

From twinkle to twilight

Twinkle):
(of light or a shiny surface) to shine repeatedly strongly then weakly, as if flashing on and off very quickly:
The lights of the town twinkled in the distance.
The stars twinkled in the clear sky.
His brown eyes twinkled behind the gold-rimmed glasses.

Twlilight):
A poetic word for "twilight," or the time of day immediately after the sun sets, is gloaming. The best thing about summer evenings is looking for twinkling fireflies in the gloaming.
Note from asker:
Thank you for your contribution!
Peer comment(s):

neutral Bashiqa : I like this but it could indicate just a twenty-four hour period and I think the asker is looking at a longer time span.
6 mins
neutral Andrew Bramhall : Agree with Bashiqa;
1 hr
neutral Tony M : A simplisticly literal rendering which fails to really explain the metaphor being used here. By the way, 'gloaming' is regional much more than 'poetic'.
14 hrs
disagree Yvonne Gallagher : You haven't explained what the expression actually means
16 hrs
neutral AllegroTrans : This doesn't really explain anything
17 hrs
disagree Chris Says Bye : I think it's about the "twinkle in the eye" as in conception
17 hrs
Something went wrong...
-1
3 hrs

From the first adult expression of the human brain until its eclipse through old age and infirmity

This isn't about the physical lifespan as in from cradle to grave as such, it is related to the development of the human ego and intellect through physical development and education, until its decline and demise through old age an infirmity; it's about waxing and waning in terms of a human being's intellectal capacity.
Peer comment(s):

neutral AllegroTrans : Why "adult expression"? A baby perceives and communicates from day 1
13 hrs
Yep, thanks;
neutral Yvonne Gallagher : Reaĺly a disagree clearly from birth...and rather convoluted anyway!
15 hrs
Yep, thanks.
disagree Chris Says Bye : Adding way too much in. And starts well before "adult".
16 hrs
Yep, Thank you!
Something went wrong...
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