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Like we mentioned in previous "Tefila tips," the prayer Baruch She'amar "fell" from Above as an introduction to the rest of our prayers, and especially to the peshukei dezimra ("verses of song" that follow Baruch She'amar). Baruch She'amar is an inauguration, a high input of spirituality to "kick-start" our pursuit of Godly awareness during the following prayers. How exactly does that work? Here are a couple of mashalim, or "illustrations" to help us understand.
There are some people who take pride in a well-arranged sofa. They make a point of arranging every pillow and cushion it its place on the couch. Similarly, we were instructed by our sages to first "arrange our praises of God," before we pray (form our requests to God). The period of "arranging" takes place after Baruch She'amar, as we say the pesukei dezimra. It is at that time that we consider the greatness of God in the creation, and how He is incredibly powerful, harmonious, caring, and yet totally beyond us. Altogether, there are seven paths of aliya, or ascent to God, corresponding to the seven candelabra of the menorah, and to the seven emotions of the soul. All of them are thoughts and "arrangements" that are derived from meditation upon creation. Each one is a "cushion" or "pillow" in its own right, that serves to support us on our spiritual journey. As we look around, we cannot help but be amazed and impressed with His universe. All of the resulting emotions come to expression during the pesukei dezimra, as we recite the words, arranging them during our approach and "ramp up" to the later sections of prayer. Once we have thought about, arranged, and considered our approach, it is time to make our requests. In so doing, we are like the proverbial "sofa arranger," putting all of our thoughts and meditation in place before making our requests.
It wasn't always this way. Through the course of Jewish history, we have undergone variations in the style of our prayers. Originally, the Jews would simply approach the Beit Hamikdash, or "Temple" on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, with or without our sacrifices, say the kriat shema and offer a few words of supplication to God. However, with the passage of time, we fell under the influence of physical temptations, and it became necessary to meditate and put more time into preparation for prayers, than had been previously necessary. That is why the sages introduced the pesukei dezimra in the middle of the second temple period. Since then, we have been like "sofa arrangers," using this segment of tefila in order to focus our minds on prayer and then eventually to make our requests during the shemonah esreh, or silent prayers.
However, there is another way to approach pesukei dezmira. Rather than like "sofa arrangers," we are sometimes compared to doves, who stare into each other's eyes before preparing to unite. This path of prayer is called "gazing upon the glory of the King." It occurs on those occasions that we feel no necessity to meditate (to "arrange the pillows on the sofa'), but rather we feel an immediate connection and openness to Godliness. (This is not the same thing as what the Jews experienced when they went on the Temple Mount during the first and beginning of the second temple period. Then, quality and quantity of revelation of Godliness was far higher). At such times, we may recite the pesukei dezimra without much preparation, yet the words themselves will be illuminated with spiritual emotion and awareness. This is the path "gazing upon the glory of the King," comparable to doves gazing into each other's eyes. The love and fear of God that we develop at such times is comparable to gold and silver. We first "fall in love' with Godliness, and experience a huge yearning. The Torah calls this "silver." Then, we realize that we are nothing in relation to Him, and we return to our own "shell," so to speak. That is fear of God, and the Torah relates to it as "gold." Gold and silver, then, are symbolic of the natural love and fear of God that we develop as we pray.