FOG

CLASS X ENGLISH SOLUTION

FOG

By Carl Sandburg

In his poem ‘Fog’, the poet Carl Sandburg describes fog as a ‘cat’. The poet's interest in the wonders and beauties of nature is evident in his description of Fog. To him, the arrival of fog is like the way a cat comes silently on little feet.

CARL SANDBURG

CLASS X ENGLISH SOLUTION

SUMMARY

This short poem reflects the view of fog. The poet sees fog as a creature, not just a natural phenomenon. Fog is very similar to the way a cat arrives. As a cat softly walks on its tiny paws, the fog also appears in the same way, as if trying to escape notice. Fog’s presence around a city seems like a cat is sitting on its haunches quietly watching the harbour and the port. Finally, when fog leaves a city, it looks like a cat moves from a place slowly and silently.

CLASS X ENGLISH SOLUTION

WORD MEANINGS:

Harbour – port.

Haunches – hips.

CLASS X ENGLISH SOLUTION

THINKING ABOUT THE POEM

1. (a) What does Sandburg think the fog is like?

Answer: Sandburg thinks that the fog is like a cat.

(b) How does the fog come?

Answer: The fog comes silently like a cat on its small feet.

(c) What does ‘it’ in the third line refer to?

Answer: ‘It’ refers to fog.

(d) Does the poet actually say that the fog is like a cat? Find three things that tell us that the fog is like a cat.

Answer: The poet does not say that the fog is like a cat. He compares with a metaphor of a cat.

Three things that tell us that the fog is like a cat are:

(a) It comes silently like a cat on its small feet.

(b) it looks over like a cat.

(c) It sits on its haunches like a cat.

2. You know that a metaphor compares two things by transferring a feature of one thing to the other.

(a) Find metaphors for the following words and complete the table below. Also, try to say how they are alike.

Storm	Tiger
Train
Fire
School
Home

Answer:

Storm	Tiger	Pounces over the fields, growls
Train	Snake	Long rope like body
Fire	Sun	Symbol of power
School	Temple	Teaches moral values, virtues
Home	Shelter	Safety, warmth

3. Does this poem have a rhyme scheme? Poetry that does not have an obvious rhythm or rhyme is called ‘free verse.’

Answer: This poem has no rhyme scheme since the sentences do not end up with like sounds. This poem is written in free verse.

4. How does the poet compare fog to a living being?

Answer: The poet compares the fog to a cat. The silent steps of a cat and the manner in which it sits on its haunches is very much like the way the fog comes and watches over the city.

5. What image does the poet give to the fog? What are the similarities between that image and fog?

Answer: The poet sees fog as a living thing and compares it to a cat. The fog moves like a cat on its paws and sits on its haunches. A cat is generally a vigilant animal and thus cannot rest in one position and relax. The fog is also a temporary visitor to earth and that shows very clearly in its movements.

6. Difficulties come but they are not to stay forever. They come and go. Comment referring to the poem ‘Fog.’

Answer: Difficulties are often hopeless and shattered when confronted with people. It takes a lot of courage to resolve any problem and solve it. By taking an insight into the poem and comparing difficulties to fog, we find difficulties come and go just like fog. One does not have to be hopeless and lose faith as problems come, one should think of them as fog, meaning that problems are temporary and just like fog, they will go away.

7. Nature has many wonders that people take for granted and never pay attention to. How is the poem ‘Fog’ different from this perspective?

Answer: The poet has taken great pleasure in nature and natural phenomenon like fog. Fog is so special to the poet that he is careful not only to write about it but also to think about its resemblance with other things in the world. In his close attention to fog, he finds it like a cat. He finds fog resembling a cat, in the way it moves and sits on its haunches. It shows that the poet is associated with various things in nature. This poem is a motivation for people, who take nature for granted to find such interesting comparisons and similarities around them.

8. Where does the fog look and how?

Answer: The fog looks over the city and the harbour. It is like a cat on its haunches.

9. What does the fog do in the end?

Answer: The fog, in the end, marches on.

10. How does the fog depart?

Answer: The fog departs silently.

CLASS X ENGLISH SOLUTION

11. What is the fog looking over?

Answer: The fog is looking over the city and the harbour.

12. How does the poet make the fog like a living creature?

Answer: By comparing it to a cat, the poet makes the fog like a living creature.

13. How is the fog like a cat? What three things suggest it?

Answer: There are mainly three things that suggest the fog is like a cat. These three things are: the fog comes silently just like a cat. The fog looks like a cat, sitting on its haunches, watching the harbour and the city. Thirdly, it departs as the cat does.

14. How does the poet describe the fog’s movements?

Answer: The poet describes the fog's movements like that of a cat. The fog comes on cat feet, slowly and silently just like a cat. It sits on its haunches and looks over the harbour and the city, and finally, it departs like a cat.

15. How does the poet compare the fog with a cat?  What poetic device is used here?

Answer: The poet compares the fog with a cat. According to him, the fog comes, on cat feet slowly and silently just like a cat. Personification is the poetic device used here by the poet.

CLASS X ENGLISH SOLUTION