Well, you read the sonnet off a piece of paper.

[sitifan]

Well, you read the sonnet off a piece of paper. (at 4:48 of the video below)

What does the expression in bold mean?

 

[teechar]

He means that even reading anything (e.g. a Shakespearean sonnet) can be thought of as a process of physics. He goes on to explain how.

 

[sitifan]

He means that even reading anything (e.g. a Shakespearean sonnet) can be thought of as a process of physics. He goes on to explain how.

Why not say "Well, you read the sonnet on a piece of paper."?
https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/read+off

 

[teechar]

In such contexts, "off" is used to indicate the source of something - i.e. where something comes from.