The Thought Fox -by Ted Hughes

Part #1

I imagine this midnight moment's forest:

Something else is alive

Beside the clock's loneliness

And this blank page where my fingers move.

The First line, "I imagine" shows you that the poem is all imaginary.

Hughes creates an imaginary setting of a forest at night.

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This presence is in the poet's imagination, as you find out in the very first line:

I imagine this midnight moments forest:

It immediately shows a contrast between the first two lines. The first line takes place in the ‘real world', after the colon we enter the realm of the poet's imagination.

The ‘presence' is an idea stirring in the deep dark night of the poet's mind and it is represented by a fox. This fox is in the midnight forest inside the poet's head; therefore it is also in the study (I don't know it is a study, I just assume so) where the poet is writing this poem. It is already alive (as is the clock, with its ticking like a heartbeat), already present, but it has no form yet. The poet's mission is to gently coax it out of its shapelessness, and turn it into a poem.

The poet looks out of his window, a window which in this case has a double meaning. The second double colon and the fact that it is in the exact same position as the first one means that it is a window in the ‘real world', a window in the poet's study through which tonight he sees no stars.

The other meaning of the window is the window of his consciousness. He is looking inside to find the poem that is there, waiting to come out. Everything in the world inside his head is still dark due to the lack of stars. He doesn't know what it is that will emerge from the darkness.

Through the window I see no star:

Something more near

Though deeper within darkness

Is entering the loneliness:

The presence the poet has sensed is nearer than the stars, as it is right there in his own mind. Yet that makes it no clearer, only deeper within darkness as the stars shed no light on it.

The Thought Fox -by Ted Hughes

The Thought Fox

The Biography of Ted Hughes

The Way out

He spent ends on ends of time reading and then rereading all of Shakespeare’s books and poetry. Rumor has it that he could recite all of Shakespeare by heart.

His first published poem made its appearance in 1954, the very same year that he graduated from Cambridge.

He worked many odd jobs from 1955-1956; such as a rose gardener, school teacher, and a zoo attendant, which was his favorite job of all because of the time he got to spend with animals.

February 26 of 1956 introduced the literary magazine, called the St Botoloph’s review, in which Hughes was one of 6 co-producers.

That wonderful day he met a lady by the name of Sylvia Plath, they were married only 4 months after.

His first book of poems, Harper publication award winner - Hawk in the Rain, was published in 1957.

And from then on for the next 41 years he wrote up to 90 books, won various awards and prizes.

Later on in 1984 he was chosen to be England’s poet laureate (an honorary position).

Hughes was a nature poet and many of his poems involved nature and was very passionate about it.

For example; his earliest poem, The Thought Fox.

I imagine this midnight moment's forest:

Something else is alive

Beside the clock's loneliness

And this blank page where my fingers move.

Through the window I see no star:

Something more near

Though deeper within darkness

Is entering the loneliness:

Cold, delicately as the dark snow,

A fox's nose touches twig, leaf;

Two eyes serve a movement, that now

And again now, and now, and now

Sets neat prints into the snow

Between trees, and warily a lame

Shadow lags by stump and in hollow

Of a body that is bold to come

Across clearings, an eye,

A widening deepening greenness,

Brilliantly, concentratedly,

Coming about its own business

Till, with sudden sharp hot stink of fox

It enters the dark hole of the head.

The window is starless still; the clock ticks,

The page is printed.

Ted Hughes is described as one the 20th century’s most amazing English poets.

He was born on August 17th, 1930 in the town of Mytholmroyd, Yorkshire to William Henry and Edith Hughes.

He had an older brother by 10 years and a sister by 2 years.

As a boy Hughes loved nature and the outdoors. He loved fishing, hunting, and picnicking as well.

Then early on moved to Mexborough when he was only 7 years old to run a tobacco and newspaper store.

Then in Mexborough grammar school he wrote his first bunch of poems at the age of 15.

He graduated out of high school in 1948 and won a scholarship to go to Cambridge University.

He spent ends on ends of time reading and then rereading all of Shakespeare’s books and poetry. Rumor has it that he could recite all of Shakespeare by heart.