Ted Hughes is well-known for his use of animal imagery in his poetry. The title of the poem is filled with animal imagery, with the fox being connected to a writer's mental process before writing something spectacular. Silence and seclusion are required for the fox to make a move and for the idea to be unleashed. Hughes also uses alliteration and rhyme to enhance the poem's theme of solitude as a means of inspiration. Hughes presents the thought fox as a mysterious character who can think up ideas at will. He says that "the foxes brain is full of tricks" and that they have "a hundred minds between them". This shows that not only can the foxes come up with unique ideas, but that they can also think ahead of others. This makes them seem like a kind of genius which is why many people want to capture one or kill one for its supposed intelligence. The poem begins with the line "A cold wind blew from the north-north-west/ And I knew my day had come." Here we are told that a cold wind is about to strike, which is what causes the poet to feel alone even though he is surrounded by other people. The poem then goes on to say that nothing could be further from the truth because somewhere out there is an amazing idea about to be born. Through these few lines we are given a glimpse into the mind of the thought fox as it prepares to produce an idea that will change the world forever.