The Thought-Fox Summary

In "The Thought-Fox," the speaker, a poet, sits by a window at midnight, struggling to write. He soon realizes he may not be as lonely as he feels: outside, a fox creeps at the forest's clearing. The speaker watches the fox wander between trees and stumps, pausing now and again to sniff a leaf or twig that captures his interest. Then, inspiration—like the fox slowly then suddenly emerging from the forest—strikes the speaker. The clock ticks past midnight as he finally puts his pen to the page.