question

[fariba_sabok]

Hello. Can you tell me what does "gold and shadow" mean in this sentence? "What is god singing in his profound Delphi of gold and shadow?"
and what does "sunwhip" mean in this sentence?
What oracle for Thebes, the sunwhipped city?
These two sentences are related to each other. Its a part of the play "Oedipus the Rex"

 

[SlickVic9000]

(Not a Teacher)

As far as physical description goes, the phrase is rather vague. I suspect "gold and shadow" have a double meaning here. A glorious facade with a hidden dark side, perhaps?

"Sun-whipped" means that the city is constantly thrashed by the sun's rays. There may also be a double meaning in this, considering the Oracle of Delphi receives visions from Apollo, a god closely associated with the light and the sun.