Question

Develop a discussion question about the poem's thematic message:

The Fox
By Susan Stewart

Did we live lightly then?
Twice we've seen the fox,
The flash
Of red that leaps
The weeds and brush, an after-
Image gray,

Then blank, then gone
Delight cannot be sought
Or pleasure thought
Or joy re-caught
But twice we've seen the fox, not once,
And knew his fear of us

Step in time, love, step in time,
Live inside the morning
Twice we've seen the fox, not once,
And knew his fear of us

Answer 1

Tempus Fugit seems to be the main thematic message of the poem. In other words the passage of time and how we humans deal with it is at the core of its theme. Therefore a good discussion question would be: how is the passage of time essential to the poem and why?