SSC MTS 2026 PYQ — Question 90

SSC MTS - 4 Feb 2026 - Shift 3 • English • Q90

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions based on the passage:

The Thought Fox is one of the early and most favourite poems of Ted Hughes (published in 1957). This poem is symbolic of the process of poetic inspiration. The symbolism of poetic inspiration is concealed behind the animal imagery. The fox in this poem represents the poet's imaginative powers. The poet goes through a special kind of loneliness; this loneliness is not the absence of people around him, but the absence of Creative powers. His fingers move, but the pages remain blank. The poetic inspiration in the poem, which is represented by Fox, appears in the poem part by part. It does not appear in full. Sometimes it's nose images, Eyes, it's prints, or the Shadows. This is a perfect illustration of how our poetic inspiration comes, i.e., any literary composition is produced in parts; it is seldom written in one sitting or in one go.

Why is The Thought Fox considered one of Hughes' most celebrated early poems?

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C

Explanation

The passage explains that the poem is symbolic of the process of poetic inspiration and uses animal imagery to represent the poet's imaginative powers. The final sentence of the passage states that this is a perfect illustration of how poetic inspiration comes, which aligns with option C, as it describes the poem revealing the creative process through imagery.