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Discussion Groups / English Usage / February 2010Frost: to feel of
Hello: Now, "of" in: "I catch no more than a ray To feel of" could well have been used for necessities of rhythm, but is there a change in meaning without it? I take it as: "I catch no more than a ray of which to feel." In: --- Sitting by a Bush in Broad Sunlight When I spread out my hand here today, I catch no more than a ray To feel of between thumb and fingers; No lasting effect of it lingers. Robert Frost, p. 266 http://www.ketzle.com/frost/sittingb.htm --- -- Thanks. Marius Hancu > Hello: > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > I take it as: > "I catch no more than a ray of which to feel." "To feel of" something is to test it by touching or rubbing; it's often said of testing fabric. For an idiom I find so familiar, there is very little at OneLook, but here is an entry from 1828 Webster: 6. To touch; to handle; with or without of. Feel this piece of silk, or feel of it. http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/word/feel > In: > --- [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > http://www.ketzle.com/frost/sittingb.htm > --- Interesting how much use he makes of pauses to complete the metre. There's a technical term for that, but I have forgotten it. > > Now, "of" in: > [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Feel this piece of silk, or feel of it. Very interesting, first time I'm aware of it. Also at: --- - feel of : to examine by touching : FEEL <feel of a fabric to discover its texture> <feel of a pear to see if it is ripe> M-W U --- Thank you both. Marius Hancu >>> Now, "of" in: >> [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > M-W U There's also the parallel "taste of". I don't mean "this chicken tastes of lemon", but synonymous with modern "I tasted the chicken".  SignatureMike. >Hello: > [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] >http://www.ketzle.com/frost/sittingb.htm >--- Maybe, but I hear "feel of" as a phrasal verb here. The phrase also rings of "not much to speak of". SignatureJohn |
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