Show or tell: what is it when it's at home?

[dukealien]

I don't exactly disagree, but after a bit of analysis I think the difference may be feelings.  Specifically, telling has to do with someone's feelings, the reader's, the author's, the viewpoint character's.  It describes a state of mind, whether that's analytical, emotional, or whatever.  Showing is not so much a positive thing, then, as a negative:  it does *not* tell the reader what anyone thinks or feels.  "The rainbow was enchanting, and brought hot tears of memory and regret to Emily's eyes," is telling.  "The rainbow swept from housetop to housetop, fading only slightly at the ends into a sparkling tinsel mist," doesn't include any feelings.  There can be people in "showing," but not what they're thinking or why.  Is showing objective, then?  It seems to be expecting to be taken as fact rather than opinion, though of course the author's opinions are involved.  So is it a lie?  Well, it's art.  Perhaps there's a hybrid:  "Darren saw a bright, leathery orange and two cloudy purple plums in the Rookwood bowl, and thought about the Solar System in its gravity well."