What exactly does this sentence mean?

Question

Hi. Can anybody help me understand the following sentence?

" What men are poets who can speak of Jupiter if he were a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent?"

In the first part, were was used with a third-person pronoun while in the second is used with a third-person pronoun. Is it because in the first part, the author implies Jupiter isn't a man hence the were (also, is was also correct here?)?
Also, the last part (must be silent).. I'm not really sure what kind of a usage that is.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Nugso What exactly does this sentence mean?

Exactly? That may be difficult.

It's a rhetorical question — a question that doesn't expect or need an answer. Loosely,

What kind of a man is a man who can speak poetically about Jupiter the man (the Greek ***), but who cannot say a single word about Jupiter the spinning planet composed of methane and ammonia?

Implied answer: Not much of a man.
_____________________

'were' implies doubt about the existence of the Greek *** Jupiter.
('was' is also correct, but in my opinion it would divert the style too much toward casual speech.)
'is' implies certainty about the existence of the planet Jupiter.

must be silent ~ has nothing to say ~ is incapable of saying anything (inspiring)

CJ

Nugso · Answer

Hi CalifJim. Thanks for the reply. Sorry I wasn't clear, though. Okay, so I got the first and second part right. But I'm still unsure about the last part. I can understand what he meant, but I just can't analyze the structure of the sentence.

"What men are poets if Jupiter is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent?

Does the above also make sense?

CalifJim · Answer

NugsoI just can't analyze the structure of the sentence.

I'll grant you it is a bit of a mess.

Nugso"What men are poets if Jupiter is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent?Does the above also make sense?

No. That may be making matters worse. Try this:

but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia, THEY (the men or the poets) must be silent

I don't think it's very clear whether it's the men or the poets.

But does that help?

CJ

Nugso · Answer

CalifJimbut if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia, THEY (the men or the poets) must be silentI don't think it's very clear whether it's the men or the poets.But does that help?

It is a lot better, thanks. So "they" is omitted. I wonder how that is possible.

Fivejedjon · Answer

The whole thing is suspect, in my opinion. The would-be profundity of the language masks the fact that it's written rather badly.  Ordinary mortals like us are afraid to challenge it in case we are accused of being too ignorant to fully comprehend the depth of Richard Feynman's thoughts.

CalifJim · Answer

fivejedjonRichard Feynman

Ah, well. He was a physicist, not an English major. I suspect he was speaking extemporaneously and this just popped out of his mouth like a photons jumping across electron shells, i.e., randomly.

CJ

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