reverse dictionary lookup

[ewx]

The sun is a lightbulb

A candle's a treat

In the first of those lines, the sentence is the opposite way around to usual: it's telling you something about the lightbulb, not the sun, and you'd usually write "the lightbulb is ..." to mean that. Is there a name for this kind of inversion?

The second line follows the normal order, which would be unremarkable on its own, but is another kind of inversion in the context of the first line. Again, is there a name for this structure?

Comments

[saraphale.livejournal.com]

How is the first sentence telling you something about the lightbulb?

[gerald_duck]

It depends a little on the context, though I'm far from sure what ewx is getting at.

Consider "Lightbulbs are approximately spheroid things that emit light. The sun is a lightbulb." as compared with "The sun is a huge glowing ball that provides us with illumination. The sun is a lightbulb."

In the first case, "The sun is a lightbulb." is taken as shorthand for "The sun is an example of a lightbulb."

[ewx.livejournal.com]

Ah, perhaps more context needed - "The curtains stay closed now". The rest of the lyrics (http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/porcupinetree/lightbulbsun.html).

[saraphale.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see. 'The sun has been replaced with a lightbulb', basically?

[gerald_duck]

Hmm. It's possibly some specialised form of metaphor, then? What you need is someone with a degree in English, though. (-8

degree in English

[ewx.livejournal.com]

I believe at least one such to be reading this journal...