Do not treat every noun in a composite simile as a separate tashbih. The entire dust-and-swords scene is one structured subject; the entire night-and-stars scene is one structured model.
Reducing it to “dust is like night” loses the parallel between sword flashes and falling stars. The relationships among elements are vital to its rhetorical force.
Composite tashbih therefore analyzes a whole configuration, not a mere inventory of objects.
Opening interactive controls...
Classifications of Tashbih: Terms, Multiplicity, Ground and Particle
Do not treat every noun in a composite simile as a separate tashbih. The entire dust-and-swords scene is one structured subject; the entire night-and-stars scene is one structured model.
Reducing it to “dust is like night” loses the parallel between sword flashes and falling stars. The relationships among elements are vital to its rhetorical force.
Composite tashbih therefore analyzes a whole configuration, not a mere inventory of objects.