Expression: "in a charge of rapid orange flashes"

[Haihao]

Hi,

Could you please help me with:

[Pamela]

Hi Haihao,

Do you allow me to make a try? But don't take my explanation seriously as I am completely at sea today.

1. Maybe you are right with 'hail' but when I read the sentence my immediate thought was that 'in a charge of' was 'in a form of'. But your assumption seems more reasonable, of course.

2.Its refers to (a wave of) smoke, I think.

3.Yes.The myriad bits of paper in a paperweight with like alabaster particles to be a simile( I think).

4. These epithets cannot be perceived literally but figuratively.

I hope other moderators will correct me!

[Haihao]

Thank you, Pamela, for your insightful paraphrase. It really helped, and hit the nail on the head, I think. I am happy you still remember and care for your old friends here on the site, and hope you could show up more often when you have time.

Haihao

[Pamela]

I hope, Haihao. Thank you for your warm words!