Adam Fox
Encyclopedia
Adam Fox Canon, was the Dean of Divinity at Magdalen College, Oxford
. He was one of the first members of the "Inklings
", a literary group which also included C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Between 1938 and 1942 he was Professor of Poetry. Later he became Canon of Westminster Abbey
and he is buried there in the Poet's Corner. He was also Warden (Headmaster) of the famous Radley College
.
During his time at Oxford
, he wrote his long poem in four books "Old King Coel
". It gets its name from King Cole
, legendary British father of the Roman Empress Helena
, the mother of the Emperor Constantine. As Professor of Poetry, Fox advocated poetry which is intelligible to readers, and gives enough pleasure to be read again. This was important to him because poetry which is not reread will not be understood properly, and will therefore be irrelevant. This advocacy can be understood as a criticism against some forms of modern poetry.
Adam Fox surely was not one of the most important Inklings, yet he is of interest. He has published works concerning Christianity
and Platonism
. In Plato for Pleasure, he tried to introduce the general public to Plato
. Fox desired to make Plato well known among the English classics again and hoped that people would study the platonic dialogues as well as the plays of Shakespeare. His biography of William Ralph Inge
, the famous theologian, philosopher and Dean
of St. Paul's Cathedral is still regarded as an important text on the individual and was awarded the 1960 James Tait Black Memorial Prize
soon after its publication.
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
. He was one of the first members of the "Inklings
Inklings
The Inklings was an informal literary discussion group associated with the University of Oxford, England, for nearly two decades between the early 1930s and late 1949. The Inklings were literary enthusiasts who praised the value of narrative in fiction, and encouraged the writing of fantasy...
", a literary group which also included C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Between 1938 and 1942 he was Professor of Poetry. Later he became Canon of Westminster Abbey
Dean and Canons of Westminster
The Dean and Canons of Westminster are the ecclesiastical body of Westminster Abbey, a collegiate church of the Church of England and royal peculiar in Westminster, England. They meet in Chapter and are also known as the Dean and Chapter of Westminster....
and he is buried there in the Poet's Corner. He was also Warden (Headmaster) of the famous Radley College
Radley College
Radley College , founded in 1847, is a British independent school for boys on the edge of the English village of Radley, near to the market town of Abingdon in Oxfordshire, and has become a well-established boarding school...
.
During his time at Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, he wrote his long poem in four books "Old King Coel
Old King Cole
"Old King Cole" is an English nursery rhyme. The historical identity of King Cole has been much debated and several candidates have been advanced as possibilities...
". It gets its name from King Cole
King Cole
King Cole is a figure of British folklore.King Cole may also refer to:*"Old King Cole", nursery rhyme* Old King Cole , a 1933 Disney cartoon about Old King Cole*King Cole , Major League Baseball pitcher...
, legendary British father of the Roman Empress Helena
Helena of Constantinople
Saint Helena also known as Saint Helen, Helena Augusta or Helena of Constantinople was the consort of Emperor Constantius, and the mother of Emperor Constantine I...
, the mother of the Emperor Constantine. As Professor of Poetry, Fox advocated poetry which is intelligible to readers, and gives enough pleasure to be read again. This was important to him because poetry which is not reread will not be understood properly, and will therefore be irrelevant. This advocacy can be understood as a criticism against some forms of modern poetry.
Adam Fox surely was not one of the most important Inklings, yet he is of interest. He has published works concerning Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and Platonism
Platonism
Platonism is the philosophy of Plato or the name of other philosophical systems considered closely derived from it. In a narrower sense the term might indicate the doctrine of Platonic realism...
. In Plato for Pleasure, he tried to introduce the general public to Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
. Fox desired to make Plato well known among the English classics again and hoped that people would study the platonic dialogues as well as the plays of Shakespeare. His biography of William Ralph Inge
William Ralph Inge
William Ralph Inge was an English author, Anglican priest, professor of divinity at Cambridge, and Dean of St Paul's Cathedral, which provided the appellation by which he was widely known, "Dean Inge."- Life :...
, the famous theologian, philosopher and Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
of St. Paul's Cathedral is still regarded as an important text on the individual and was awarded the 1960 James Tait Black Memorial Prize
James Tait Black Memorial Prize
Founded in 1919, the James Tait Black Memorial Prizes are among the oldest and most prestigious book prizes awarded for literature written in the English language and are Britain's oldest literary awards...
soon after its publication.
Further reading
- Gerold, Thomas, Adam Fox (1883–1977). Dichter und Christlicher Platoniker. In Inklings-Jahrbuch für Literatur und Ästhetik 19 (2001), 201–214.
- Glyer, Diana (2007). The Company They Keep: C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien as Writers in Community. ISBN 978-0-87338-890-0.