THE FOX IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM
OF WALES- ROBERT MINHINNICK
‘The Fox In The National Museum of Wales’ The title of the poem may seem oddly specific
in comparison to many other poems in the anthology, however on further consideration it is
clear that while the reader is given a subject matter and location, this is not excessively
helpful in terms of determining the message of the poem. It also would raise many different
questions, such as what the significance of these two things are, and why an animal is inside
a museum. Foxes have various connotations, and are also very dependent on an individual,
so the choice of this animal could be quite striking for a reader due to the association they
form with them. It becomes clear that the fox is a representation of time and the future, so
these connotations would seem fitting.
Poem Structure
Simply looking at the shape of a poem on a page can often be useful at finding points of
interest, and one notable feature of this poem is that the lines become notably shorter as the
poem progresses; with as many as twelve words on a line in the first stanza, to only three
words on the final line. This gives a visual gradient to the poem, symbolising progression
from the past to the present, and then to the future, and makes the poem feel as if it is
speeding up to match the development that is being described.
Minhinnick also uses repetition of ‘the fox’ persistently, with the third stanza almost entirely
taken up with this repetition. This is very notable, aided by the assonance of ‘fox’ and other
words such as ‘fossils’ and ‘flock’, aiding the transition to a chant-like rhythm. The repetition
throughout the poem also encourages a reader to consider the choice in animal; a fox
symbolically represents something instinctive, unpredictable, with cunning and
untrustworthy, and this poem uses it as a representation of the future. As such, a reader
would likely see the future in line with these ideas, as potentially dangerous but also positive
in a surprising and unpredictable way.
Enjambment is also used to make lines appear shorter, most notably used at the end to
draw the poem to a close. It can also be interpreted as being a representation of the
“closing” iron doors that are described in the stanza, with the enjambment across these
lines giving an ever-closing sense to the structure, particularly when read aloud.
Poetic Techniques
There is frequent use of alliteration in ‘The Fox In The National Museum of Wales’ such as
“shimmies surreptitiously” in the sixth stanza. The sibilance from the use of the ‘s’ sound
may make a reader more apprehensive and on edge due to the negative connotations and
hissing sound, seeing the fox as more untrustworthy in this section than elsewhere in the
poem. Other examples include “blood on the bristles” in the fifth stanza or “fox I foster” in the
second to last stanza. The way in which alliteration is used in the poem could be seen as the
different trends and patterns throughout history being reflected in the sound of words,
making a reader consider both the past, and what patterns there may be in the future.
Stemming from his environmentalism, Minhinnick uses similes to liken animals to man made
materials, for example “the turtle black as an oildrum” and “whalebone silver as bubblewrap”
– both of these associate commodities with the animals, which increases the value and
desirability of them. However, the point is also made that the natural value of these animals
is not being considered, overlooked in pursuit of raw materials and products in pursuit of
wealth.
THE FOX IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM
OF WALES- ROBERT MINHINNICK
The description of different exhibits in the museum is important to consider as it is key to the
message of ‘The Fox In The National Museum of Wales’. By having the fox travel
through such a wide variety of items and time periods, Minhinnick is representing how the
future (represented by the fox) is rooted in all of the past, but at the same time is constantly
moving and changing with interactions with new times and movements. It also highlights the
way in which museums focus on what is long gone in history by their vary nature, in contrast
to the ever changing and moving fox. Some readers could interpret this as a criticism of the
nature of museums, which is an opinion more likely to be held by readers that recognise that
despite being the museum of “Wales” there appears to be very little directly related to the
country, with preference for artefacts which are found in other museums all over the world.
Important Lines
“the fox is in the flock”
The persistent repetition of this line in the third stanza would be very noticeable to a reader,
with the alliteration helping to drive forward the poem at greater speed, representing the
constant movement towards the future. In addition, there is a panic to this repetition, which
sees the fox and therefore the future as something to be apprehensive of, or even feared.
“he is the future”
This line makes it extremely clear as to what the fox represents if a reader has not
understood up to this point, and unlocks the true meaning of the poem. Describing the fox as
“he” gives a greater connection to the reader, making the fox seem more like a person,
which would encourage the reader to see the fox not just as humanity’s future, but also their
individual future.
“But they are closing // the iron doors”
The specific use of “iron” is significant because it shows that it is a completely man made
object, lacking the natural elements that a wood door would have. They also indicate a
substantial weight, which can be interpreted as metaphorically representing the weight of
elements of humanity on progress and advancement. By the doors closing, it acts as a
warning to not attempt to hold back change and capture the future.
‘The Fox In The National Museum of Wales’ Key Themes
Past and Present: There are clear links to the past with the fox travelling through key
moments in history that have shaped much of human history. Unlike other poems in the
anthology, ‘The Fox In The National Museum of Wales’ also considers the way in which the
future interacts with and is rooted in the past.
Society and Culture: There are many connotations to all of the exhibits which the fox has
travelled through, representing different stages in a variety of cultures around the world. The
fox acts as a unifying element throughout all of the differences, showing how the future
impacts everyone equally and is unavoidable.
Identity: Different identities are shown through the exhibits, and the title of the poem
itself includes a national identity. However, the museum of “Wales” lacks many
Welsh specific items, showing that identity is becoming increasingly shared across
cultures.
THE FOX IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM
OF WALES- ROBERT MINHINNICK
The key feature of this poem is the use of an extended metaphor – the ‘fox’ the
poet describes could be seen to represent the future, while the museum and the
exhibits in it represent the more static past. Other features of the poem include:
Language Features:
Reference to time periods – The poet mentions many time periods throughout the poem,
such as the “Renaissance”, the “Baroque” and the “Celtic”. These all appear very
concrete, which contrasts with the fast movement of the fox, who “doesn’t stop”,
highlighting how quickly time passes.
Proper nouns – Similarly, the poet uses proper nouns, such as “the Industrial Revolution”
and “the Taj Mahal”, which signify great, but historical, achievements. This also
demonstrates that time quickly moves on, and historical events can be forgotten.
Dynamic verbs – All of the verbs used to describe the fox imply fast movement, for
example, “swept” and “shimmies”; this creates a sense of the fast movement of time,
which contrasts with the static historical exhibitions in the museum.
Repetition – The phrase “the fox” is repeated several times throughout the poem,
emphasising how significant the poet feels it (and, by extension, the future) is.
Significantly, the line “The fox is in the flock” is repeated twice, suggesting that the
future is stronger or more powerful than the past or present, in the same way a fox in a
flock of chickens would be powerful.
Final Line – The poems ends with the line “They are closing the iron doors”, which could
imply either that the ‘doors’ are being closed on history, or that these doors are being
closed in an effort to trap the fox, and therefore try and prevent the future from
arriving. The description of the doors as “iron” implies a sense of finality, as iron doors
are very heavy and would therefore be difficult to open once they had been closed.
Structural Features:
Enjambment – Enjambment is used many times throughout the poem, which gives a
sense of fluidity and fast movement. However, each stanza ends with a full stop, which
could imply a sense of constraint, which contains each period of history within its own
time.
Line Length – The lines become much shorter in the final stanza. This slows the pace of
the poem, implying that the poet wants the reader to listen carefully to his message that
the future is imminent and cannot be stopped.
