«فَأَطْرَقَ إِطْرَاقَ الْأُفْعُوَانِ ثُمَّ شَمَّرَ لِلْحَرْبِ الْعَوَانِ»
He lowered his head like a serpent, then prepared for a fierce contest.
The husband lowers his head, then prepares a verbal defence. Serpent and fierce battle imagery heighten the tension; they do not imply an actual snake or physical warfare in court.
The sentence combines observable gesture, figurative portrayal and anticipation. Distinguishing those layers explains how prose creates dramatic suspense.
Applied question
What does al-ḥarb al-ʿawān figuratively depict?