In Poem 53, Attar employs two primary metaphors to describe the process of spiritual annihilation (fana):

1. The Sea of Annihilation (Bahr-e Fana): Entering the water of this sea represents the total immersion and eventual loss of the individual self into the Divine.
2. The Shadow and the Sun: The shadow's 'entry' into the sun is a paradox; the shadow disappears exactly where the sun shines. This illustrates that the individual existence only persists in the absence of the Divine light; once the Truth (the Sun) is reached, the self (the shadow) ceases to exist as a separate entity.

The poem concludes with radical humility, where the seeker's inability to reach the 'exaltation' of the Beloved leads to a state of 'sleep' or submission at the Beloved's feet, further emphasizing the cessation of ego-driven striving.