a block of delicate pale light, beamed down into the park

[Shelly199506]

I read this from The Great Gatsby but couldn't figure out the grammatical structure.

Here is the sentence:

We passed a barrier of dark trees, and then the facade of Fifty-ninth Street, a block of delicate pale light, beamed down into the park.

Can anyone analyze the sentence structure for me ? What's the function of "a block of delicate pale light, beamed down into the park." here?

 

[Keith Bradford]

First, I'm taking your extract as it stands, including the commas even though they seem a little odd. There are two ways to read it:

1. We passed a barrier of dark trees, and then we passed the facade of Fifty-ninth Street. This façade resembled a block of delicate pale light which had been beamed by the sun down into the park.

To beam down = to direct down, to point down.

2. We passed a barrier of dark trees; after that, the facade of Fifty-ninth Street (which resembled a block of delicate pale light) smiled down into the park.

To beam = to smile broadly.

 

[Shelly199506]

First, I'm taking your extract as it stands, including the commas even though they seem a little odd. There are two ways to read it:

1. We passed a barrier of dark trees, and then we passed the facade of Fifty-ninth Street. This façade resembled a block of delicate pale light which had been beamed by the sun down into the park.

To beam down = to direct down, to point down.

2. We passed a barrier of dark trees; after that, the facade of Fifty-ninth Street (which resembled a block of delicate pale light) smiled down into the park.

To beam = to smile broadly.

I check from the dictionary that if something such as the sun or a lamp beams down, it sends light to a place and shines on it. So, I think to beam here is to send light down into the park. What do you think?

 

[Keith Bradford]

Quite honestly I don't know. Both meanings, send and smile, are possible.

 

[Shelly199506]

Quite honestly I don't know. Both meanings, send and smile, are possible.

Thank you for your reply！

 

[velisarius]

the facade of Fifty-ninth Street, a block of delicate pale light,

I'd say the phrase "a block of delicate pale light" is in apposition to "the facade of Fifty-ninth Street".