Thanks,
I suppose technically those examples are intransitive,
but I don't see a big difference between
follow + object, and follow+preposition+object.
In any case, the follow in the poem has neither
explicit object nor preposition.

I didn't see anything in your examples which fits that
formulation (or lack thereof0.

Cheers,
Peter.

Dr. Peter C. Montgomery
Dept. of English
Camosun College
3100 Foul Bay Rd.
Victoria, BC CANADA V8P 5J2
[log in to unmask]
www.camosun.bc.ca/~peterm


-----Original Message-----
From: Carrol Cox [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2003 7:15 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Overwhelming question about Prufrock


Peter Montgomery wrote:
>
>
> My question is, how can streets FOLLOW?
> >From everything I've been able to determine
> from my dictionaries, FOLLOW is a transitive
> verb, but I see no object, unless there is the
> implication that one street follows another.
>

I don't know if any of the following helps with Eliot's text, but they
do show that the verb can be intransitive. (All from OED 2d ed.)

    II. Intransitive uses.

    14. To go or come after a person or thing in motion; to move behind
some object; also, to go as a person's attendant or companion. Const.,
after, on, to. Also fig. Cf. 1.

  c1250 Gen. & Ex. 3272 Egipcienes woren in twired wen queer he sulden
folen or flen. c1340 Cursor M. 11435 (Trin.) ei follewed on e sterre
beme Til ei coom to Ierusalem. Ibid. 19374 (Trin.) As bifore hem wrout
he e wey So aftir him faste folewed ey. c1400 Rom. Rose 6342 And with me
folwith my loteby, To done me solas and company. c1475 Rauf Coilear 421
He followit to him haistely..For to bring him to the king. 1513 MORE
Rich. III (1641) 219 After whom folowed the King with his Crowne and
Scepter. c1600 SHAKES. Sonn. xli. 4 For still temptation follows where
thou art. 1697 DRYDEN Virg. Georg. IV. 700 He first, and close behind
him follow'd she. 1848 R. I. WILBERFORCE Incarnat. Our Lord xiv. (1852)
401 The Philosopher of Königsberg following in a measure in Plato's
steps. 1874 GREEN Short Hist. ii. §6. 89 Gilbert was one of the Norman
strangers who followed in the wake of the Conqueror.


    15. a. To come (next) after something else in order or sequence. as
follows: a prefatory formula used to introduce a statement, enumeration,
or the like. Cf. 2. The const. in as follows is impers., and the verb
should always be used in the sing.; for the incorrect pl. see quots.
1776, 1797.

  c1300 Cursor M. 19135 (Edin.) e toer dai at folwid neste. c1380 WYCLIF
Sel. Wks. III. 107 e secunde part..folwe in ese wordes. 1426 in Surtees
Misc. (1890) 9 Was done afterwarde als her fast folowys. 1486 Bk. St.
Albans Diij, Now foloys the naamys of all maner of hawkys. 1548 HALL
Chron., Edw. IV (an. 23) 247 He openly sayde as foloweth. 1607 TOPSELL
Four-f. Beasts (1658) 229 Vegetius having commended the Persian Horses
saith, that the Armenians and Sapharens do follow next. 1711 ADDISON
Spect. No. 58 6 The Subject of it (as in the rest of the Poems which
follow). 1776 G. CAMPBELL Rhetoric I. II. iv. 495 Analogy as well as
usage favour this mode of expression: 'The conditions of the agreement
as follows,' and not as follow. A few late writers have inconsiderately
adopted this last form through a mistake of the construction. 1797
GODWIN Enquirer II. xii. §1. 374 The reasons that dissuade us..are as
follow. 1806-7 J. BERESFORD Miseries Hum. Life (1826) II. iv, Beat what
follows if you can. 1843 MILL Logic I. iii. §7 There are philosophers
who have argued as follows.


    b. To happen or occur after something else; to come next as an
event; to ensue. Const. on.

  c1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 120 If e crampe folowe it is deedly. a1533
LD. BERNERS Huon lxxxii. 254 It shall not folow after thy counsell. 1548
HALL Chron., Hen. VI (an. 5) 103b, The Castle was almoste undermined, so
that yeldyng must folowe. 1611 BIBLE Exod. xxi. 22 If men striue, and
hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no
mischiefe follow. 1667 MILTON P.L. II. 206 When those who at the Spear
are bold And vent'rous, if that fail them, shrink and fear What yet they
know must follow. 1688 J. SMITH Baroscope 65 If Fair Weather follows
immediately upon the Mercury's Rising. 1839 J. YEOWELL Anc. Brit. Ch.
iii. (1847) 28 That the martyrdom of this blessed apostle followed very
shortly after the writing of this Epistle. 1888 MRS. H. WARD R. Elsmere
I. iii, That state which so often follows on the long confinement of
illness. 1903 R. LANGBRIDGE Flame & Flood ii, A rich-souled organ poured
out its absolution; following on the voice of the violin.


    16. To result (as an effect from a cause, an inference from
premisses); to be, or occur as, a consequent. Const. from (of). Often
impers. with a clause, it follows (that)... Cf. 2c.

  a1300 Cursor M. (Gött.) 2892 Fleis at sine ouer al is erde, e wreche
at foluis haue e herd. c1386 CHAUCER Melib. 110 And though that Salomon
seith, That he ne fond never womman good, it folweth nat therfore that
alle wommen ben wikke. c1449 PECOCK Repr. II. i. 132 If this be trewe,
thanne..it muste nedis folewe that [etc.]. 1624 W. SIMONS in Capt.
Smith's Wks. (1819) I. 166 In a short time it followed, that could not
be had for a pound of Copper, which before was sould vs for an ounce.
1678 DRYDEN Limberham I. Wks. 1883 VI. 27 But what followed of this dumb
interview? 1698 J. KEILL Exam. Th. Earth (1734) 55 These are the effects
which..would necessarily follow from the position of the Earths axis.
1751 JORTIN Serm. (1771) II. iii. 44 Though we have received a command
to pray for our enemies, it follows not thence we may not wage war with
them. 1843 MILL Logic II. i. §1 We say of a fact or statement, that it
is proved, when we believe its truth by reason of some other fact or
statement from which it is said to follow.


    17. a. To go in chase or pursuit. Const. after, on, upon. Also fig.
of things. Cf. 5.

  c1250 Gen. & Ex. 1751 He toc and wente and folwede on, And hot in mod
Iacob to slon. c1400 Destr. Troy 10459 Theire fos on hom folowet. c1420
Anturs of Arth. v, The king blue a rechase, Folut fast on the trase.
1535 COVERDALE Prov. xiii. 21 Myschefe foloweth vpon synners. 1611 BIBLE
Gen. xliv. 4 Vp, follow after the men. 1623 BINGHAM Xenophon 115 They
dare and will be readie to follow vpon vs, if we retire.


    b. to follow after: to strive to reach, gain, or compass. Cf. 6.

  1362 LANGL. P. Pl. A. x. 189 au ei don hem to donmowe..To folewen
aftur e Flucchen, fecche ei hit neuere. 1611 BIBLE Ps. cxix. 150 They
draw nigh that follow after mischiefe. 1881 BIBLE (R.V.) Heb. xii. 14
Follow after peace with all men.


    c. ? To tend to. Obs.

  c1475 Rauf Coilear 508 Thow fand me fechand nathing that followit to
feid.


    18. Of a person: To proceed with, or continue doing, something
begun. Cf. 6b. Obs.