99837
[This
answer](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/60/particles-%E3%81%AB-
vs-%E3%81%A7) explains that when used to indicate a place, で means the action
is happening at that place while に indicated the verbs causes a change in
place. That all makes sense until I run into some sentences where に is used
but there seem to be no change of places.

> 私の掌 **に** 灯る誰も知らない線香花火 ー「線香花火」

> 草の上 **に** 地図を広げた 思い出は風の中 ー「夏の贈り物」

I'd fully expected で since 灯る and 広げる was done in that place, just like
部屋の中で灯る or 部屋の中で地図を広げる. Why the に?
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2023-06-04T05:06:11.437
99835
2023-06-04T15:38:26.413
39855
question
grammar particles particle-に particle-で
When に does not seem to denote change of place
私の掌 **で** 灯る線香花火 and 私の掌 **に** 灯る線香花火 describe the same scene, but the latter
has a poetic sound to it. I get an image of the light emitted from the stick
firework shining the palm from it. The version with で, in contrast, is more
matter-of-fact and has its focus on where it is burning.

The difference between 草の上 **で** 地図を広げた and 草の上 **に** 地図を広げた is much greater.
The former means you spread the map while you were on the grass as で denotes a
place within the boundaries of which some action or event happens. The version
with に means you spread the map **onto** the grass. This does involve a change
of place as the map is now on the grass as a result of the action.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-06-04T14:22:17.210
99837
2023-06-04T15:38:26.413
2023-06-04T15:38:26.413
43676
43676
99835
answer