The phrase illustrates the convergence of different lives and experiences into a single moment, suggesting a universal connection between disparate individuals. In this context, the poet and the thug, despite their contrasting circumstances, share a pivotal moment indicated by the uniformity of time. This suggests that time serves as a common thread that binds their fates.

Nabokov captures the notion that even amidst diversity and difference, a shared experience can exist. The imagery of two silent time zones merging signifies that all lives are intertwined in some manner, hinting at themes of fate and the randomness of existence, where various paths cross at significant junctures.