Adam Fox (poet)

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Adam Fox (15 July 1883 - 17 January 1977), [1] Canon, was the Dean of Divinity at Magdalen College, Oxford. He was one of the first members of the literary group "Inklings". He was Oxford Professor of Poetry and later he became Canon of Westminster Abbey. He was also warden of Radley College.

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Education and academic career

He and his twin sister Eve were born to a sea captain and his wife. [2] He attended Winchester School and the University of Oxford, gaining his MA degree in 1909; he was ordained as a priest in 1913. [1]

He was headmaster of Radley College (1918–1924). [2] He then taught at the Diocesan College, Rondebosch, South Africa until 1929, when he returned to England as Dean of Divinity of Magdalen College, Oxford until 1942; between 1938 and 1942 he was Oxford Professor of Poetry. [1] Later he became Canon of Westminster Abbey and he is buried there in Poets' Corner.

Writing career

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.[ citation needed ]

He was one of the first members of the "Inklings", a literary group which also included C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. In his 1945 Plato for Pleasure, he tried to introduce the general public to Plato. Fox wished to make Plato well known among the English Classics once again and hoped that people would study the platonic dialogues, as well as the plays of Shakespeare. His biography of William Ralph Inge, the theologian, philosopher and Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, was awarded the 1960 James Tait Black Memorial Prize soon after its publication. [3]

The (UK) Times of 19 Jan 1977 (issue No. 59911) carries a detailed obituary.

Publications

Fox’s works include;

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Adam Fox". Hymnology. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Adam Fox". Westminster Abbey. 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  3. ↑ "Biography winners". University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Adam Fox". Good Reads. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  5. ↑ "English hymns and hymn writers". ABE Books. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  6. 1 2 "Adam Fox". Library Thing. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  7. ↑ "The Pictorial History of Westminster Abbey". ABE Books. Retrieved 22 July 2025.

Further reading

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