Fog
Summary
Fog is a poem that reflects Carl Sandburg’s interest in nature. It beautifully captures
the moment when the fog comes and moves. He presents a powerful image of life
through a metaphorical cat. Its meaning is centered on the fog in the Chicago city. The
poet compares the fog with the cat because the cat also comes with soft paws and
without giving any sign of its arrival. The same is the case with fog, as it approaches
exactly in a similar way.
The poet is talking about the fog which is generally seen during the winter season and it is
coming towards the city and the harbour just like a cat. The next poet says that the fog has
covered the city and harbour completely and it appears as if a cat is sitting by folding its legs
and looking around. Poet also described the silent and unpredictable departure of the fog.
Literary Devices
1. Rhyme Scheme
The poem does not have a rhyme scheme since it is written in free verse.
2. Enjambment: Enjambment refers to the continuation of a sentence or clause from one
line of poetry to the next without a pause or punctuation.
The lines from “it sits……..” to .”…move on” are examples of the use of enjambment.
3. Metaphor: Here ‘cat’ refers to ‘fog’ and vice versa
4. Analogy: Comparison of fog to a cat is the analogy here throughout the poem.
5. Personification: providing human atributes to non-living things. The words ‘It sits
looking/over harbour and city’ are an example of personification.
6. Transferred Epithet: Epithet is nothing but adjective or phrase that shows/describes the
quality of a person or a thing. It is called transfered epithet when this attribute (quality or
description or adjective) is transfered from the one it appears it is used for to any other
one nearby in the sentence. The phrase ‘on silent haunches’ is an example of
transferred epithet. Here, ‘haunches’ are not ‘silent’. Rather, the phrase refers to how a
cat silently sits on its back legs.
1. What does Sandburg think the fog is like?
Sandburg thinks that the fog is like a cat.
2. How does the fog come?
The fog comes silently like a cat on its small feet.
3. What does ‘it’ in the third line refer to?
‘It’ refers to fog.
4. 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. say that the fog is like a cat? Find three things that tell us that the fog
is like a cat.
The poet does not actually say that the fog is like a cat, but he uses the metaphor of cat for
comparison.
Three things that tell us that the fog is like a cat are:
It comes silently like a cat on its small feet.
It looks over like a cat.
It sits on its haunches like a cat.
Additional Questions
1. How does the poet make the fog like a living creature?
The poet makes the fog like a living creature by personifying it as a cat. He describes the
fog as coming "on little cat feet," which makes it seem soft, silent, and alive. This
comparison gives the fog a gentle, mysterious presence, as if it is a living being moving
stealthily.
2. How does the poet describe the fog's movements?
The poet describes the fog’s movements as quiet and delicate, much like a cat that
sneaks in softly. The fog "sits looking over harbor and city," creating an image of it
settling lightly and observing its surroundings, then moving on without a sound, just as a
cat might.
3. How is the fog full of opposite forces?
The fog is full of opposite forces because, while it is gentle and silent, it also creates an
eerie atmosphere by obscuring the view. This balance of calmness and mystery makes
the fog both soothing and unsettling, highlighting its dual nature.
