Summary – Fog
The poem fog was written by Carl Sandburg, this is a poem which is written in 25 words and the meaning of the poem is focused on the fog which arrives in Chicago. The writer compares the fog with the kitten because kitten also comes with soft paws and without even giving any notice. Same is the case with fog, fog approaches exactly in the same way.
It tells that fog do not stay in the same place for a longer period of time it stays at one place for a small period of time and then moves on. It tells how harmful the fog can be at some time that the accidents occur and people really cannot see what is happening. Whereas the fog just sits there quietly and sees what is going on around just like kitten.
Extra Question Answers
Question 1. The fog comes on little cat feet. It sits looking over harbour and city on silent haunches and then moves on.
(a) What does the poet mean by little cat feet? (b) What do haunches mean?
(c) How is the fog looking over the harbour and the city? (d) “It sits looking….” what is the poetic device used here?
Answer: (a) Little cat feet here represents the silent and careful steps of a cat. The way fog comes, resembles the steps of a cat.
(b) Haunches mean hips.
(c) The fog looks over the harbour and the city by sitting on its haunches like a cat.
(d) Metaphor (symbolic) is used here.
Question 2. 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 way it sits on its haunches is very similar to the way fog comes and surrounds the city and looks over it.
Question 3. What image does the poet give to the fog? What are the similarities between that image and fog?
Answer: The poet looks at fog as a living creature and compares it to a cat. The fog moves like a cat on little cat feet and sits on haunches like a cat.
Question 4. Difficulties come but they are not to stay forever. They come and go. Comment referring to the poem ‘Fog’.
Answer: Difficulties, when faced by people, tend to leave them hopeless and shattered. It takes a lot of courage to overcome any problem and to solve it. If we take a clue from the poem and compare difficulties to fog, we find that just like fog, difficulties also come and go.
One need not be hopeless and lose courage when problems come, one should rather think of it as fog, meaning that it has not come to stay but will always leave, like fog.
Question 5. 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 utmost pleasure in nature and natural phenomenon like fog. Fog is so special to the poet that he cared enough not only to write about it, but also thinks of its resemblance with other things in the world. In his close attention to fog, he found fog resembles a cat, in the way it moves and sits on its haunches. The fact that such a resemblance was found by the poet shows how connected he is to various things in nature. This poem serves as a motivation for people, who take nature for granted to find such interesting comparisons and similarities around them.