Mary woke to the soft light pouring from the window.
Mary woke to the soft light pouring in from the window.
What's the difference? Do they mean exactly the same?
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Sign up to join this communityMary woke to the soft light pouring from the window.
Mary woke to the soft light pouring in from the window.
What's the difference? Do they mean exactly the same?
Pouring from the window is poetic license. In my experience, it is not what I hear people say ordinarily (often).
It is used here, I'm guessing, to give the impression that the source of light is the window itself (like water comes from a spring), instead of the light coming from outside.
The feeling conveyed may be that the room and its occupants are quite separated from what is outside (psychologically or in some other way). It is as if there is nothing beyond the room - even its light from the window is from the window, not from outside.
As comments to the question have indicated, a usual expression would be pouring in from outside or pouring in from the window (window as conduit here, or even as surrogate for the outside light source). Or the same but with through instead of from.
Let's have a new innovation on ESO! Answering the actual question! :)
"What's the difference? Do they mean exactly the same?"
1) there is absolutely no difference
2) they mean exactly the same thing