The orange clock at the bottom left of the painting is covered in ants. Dalí often used ants in his paintings as a symbol of decay. Another insect that is present in the painting is a fly, which sits on the watch that is next to the orange watch. The fly appears to be casting a human shadow as the sun hits it. "The Persistence of Memory" employs "the exactitude of realist painting techniques" to depict imagery more likely to be found in dreams than in waking consciousness.