What similarities and differences can you see in The Thought-Fox and

1595 Words4 Pages

What similarities and differences can you see in The Thought-Fox and

Digging in terms of ideas, language, structure, and rhythm / rhyme?-

How might these aspects affect any reading of the poem?

What similarities and differences can you see in ‘The Thought-Fox’ and

‘Digging’ in terms of ideas, language, structure, and rhythm / rhyme?

- How might these aspects affect any reading of the poem?

I found that one of the most significant similarities between ‘The

Thought-Fox’ by Ted Hughes and ‘Digging’ by Seamus Heaney, was how the

poets in question talked about their writing process, their creative

process in the poem itself. In each poem the voice of the poet is

easily distinguished, as they are both written in the first person.

This is a most superlative way for the creator of the poems to write

about what they see directly, to relate their experiences and memories

to the reader directly. They write about the scenes which they can see

through their “window” and at the same time involve the senses in

these poems which helps make a connection with any reader of the poem

as it stimulates the imagination. This approach makes for a powerful

piece.

To continue, one of the similarities between these two poems, is that

in each case the poet is trying to voice an experience, a viewpoint or

a conclusion, that will cause a reaction (of different sorts) in the

reader, using specific writing techniques like half-rhyme which was

used by Ted Hughes (for example the two words “fox” and “stinks”).

The second similarity is that both poets use the idea of nature to

emphasise their poems but in subtly different ways. For example in

‘The Thought-Fox’ the idea of nature is more figurative as opposed to

the literal and ...

... middle of paper ...

...

There is again no clearly defined rhythm but each poem has sections

which have rhythm and sections without. Of particular note is the

third stanza of ‘The Though-fox’ which seems to be an anomaly. This

stanza not only has a regular rhythm of eight syllables to a line, it

also has one line ending in ‘leaf’ which does not have any assonance

that is similar to the other lines. The reason for this is maybe to

draw attention to the moment at which the poets’ ideas begin to flow

and links back with the structure of the poem.

In emulation of these two poems I finish with;

My thoughts are still not firm

Inside the cavernous hole of head.

Yet to hold a concrete form,

Trying to escape from me instead.

Yet in time, their time will come,

The storm of thoughts will calm,

And from cave pour forth, to become,

An essay held within welcoming arms.

Open Document