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Fog

NCERT Class 10 · English Based on NCERT Class 10 English textbook · Free CBSE study kit

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Chapter Notes

Overview
This poem by Carl Sandburg presents a short, vivid metaphor comparing fog to a cat. Written in free verse, it captures the silent, stealthy arrival and departure of fog over a harbour and city. The central message for board exams is that the poet uses an extended metaphor to show how fog moves quietly and temporarily, like a living creature, without forcing a rhyme or rhythm.
Key Concepts (10)
Extended Metaphor
A metaphor that is developed over several lines, comparing fog to a cat throughout the poem.
e.g. The entire poem compares fog to a cat: 'on little cat feet', 'sits looking', 'on silent haunches'.
Personification
Giving human or animal qualities to a non-human thing; here, fog is given cat-like actions.
e.g. 'It sits looking' — fog is described as sitting and looking, which are actions of a living being.
Imagery
Language that appeals to the senses; here, visual and tactile imagery creates the cat-like quality.
e.g. 'on little cat feet' creates a visual and tactile image of soft, silent movement.
Free Verse
Poetry without a regular rhyme scheme or meter.
e.g. The poem has no end rhymes and no consistent rhythm.
Symbolism
Using an object to represent an idea; fog symbolizes something temporary, quiet, and mysterious.
e.g. Fog 'moves on' — symbolizing the transient nature of things.
Enjambment
The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line.
e.g. 'The fog comes / on little cat feet.' — the sentence flows from one line to the next.
Haunches
The hind legs of an animal; used to describe the fog's posture like a cat sitting.
e.g. 'on silent haunches' — fog is imagined as a cat resting on its hind legs.
Tone
The poet's attitude toward the subject; here, calm, observant, and detached.
e.g. The quiet, unhurried movement of the fog creates a peaceful, meditative tone.
Theme
The central idea of the poem; the beauty and transience of nature.
e.g. The fog arrives silently, stays briefly, and leaves without warning.
Conciseness
Brevity of expression; the poem uses very few words to create a powerful image.
e.g. The entire poem is only six lines long.
How It Works
Stanza 1 (Lines 1-2) — The Arrival
  1. Line 1: 'The fog comes' — states the subject directly.
  2. Line 2: 'on little cat feet' — compares the fog's silent, soft arrival to a cat's stealthy footsteps.
  3. The poet uses a metaphor to suggest the fog is light, quiet, and sneaky.
💡 Students often think 'little cat feet' means the fog looks like cat paws; it actually describes how the fog moves — silently and softly.
Stanza 2 (Lines 3-4) — The Observation
  1. Line 3: 'It sits looking' — fog is personified as a cat that sits and observes.
  2. Line 4: 'over harbour and city' — specifies what the fog covers and watches.
  3. The fog is not just present; it is actively 'looking', as if curious.
💡 Students sometimes miss that 'it' refers to the fog, not the cat. The cat is the metaphor, not the literal subject.
Stanza 3 (Lines 5-6) — The Departure
  1. Line 5: 'on silent haunches' — reinforces the cat image; a cat sits on its haunches.
  2. Line 6: 'and then moves on.' — the fog leaves as quietly as it came, without warning.
  3. The poem ends abruptly, mirroring the fog's sudden disappearance.
💡 Students often think 'moves on' means the fog disappears completely; it simply moves away to another place.
Exam Traps — Don't Make These Mistakes
⚠ Fog is literally a cat
✗ The poet says the fog is a cat.
→ The poet uses a metaphor; fog is compared to a cat, not literally a cat.
✓ The poet uses an extended metaphor to compare the fog to a cat, focusing on its silent, stealthy movement and posture.
⚠ Rhyme scheme exists
✗ The poem has a rhyme scheme like ABAB.
→ The poem is written in free verse with no end rhymes.
✓ The poem has no rhyme scheme; it is an example of free verse.
⚠ Fog is personified as a human
✗ The fog is compared to a person sitting and looking.
→ The fog is compared to a cat, not a human. 'Sits looking' and 'haunches' are cat-like, not human.
✓ The fog is personified with cat-like qualities: it comes on little cat feet, sits on silent haunches, and looks.
⚠ The poem has a moral lesson
✗ The poem teaches us that fog is dangerous or mysterious.
→ The poem is a simple observation of nature; it does not preach a moral.
✓ The poem captures the quiet, temporary beauty of fog through a vivid cat metaphor.
⚠ Haunches means hips
✗ Haunches means the hips of a human.
→ In the poem, 'haunches' refers to the hind legs of an animal, specifically a cat sitting.
✓ Haunches are the hind legs of an animal; the fog is imagined sitting like a cat on its hind legs.
Compare & Contrast
Movement
Fog
Cat
Fog moves silently and slowly; a cat moves silently and stealthily. Both are quiet and unpredictable.
Action
Arrival of fog
Departure of fog
Arrival is described as 'comes on little cat feet'; departure is 'moves on'. Both are silent, but arrival is soft and gradual, departure is abrupt.
Scale
Harbour and city
Fog
Harbour and city are large, permanent landmarks; fog is small in duration and temporary, covering them briefly.
Structure
Free verse
Rhymed poetry
Free verse has no set rhyme or meter; rhymed poetry follows a pattern. Sandburg uses free verse to mirror the fog's free, unconstrained movement.
Exam Focus
Marks pattern: This poem typically appears as a short-answer question (2-3 marks) or a reference-to-context question (3-4 marks) in the literature section. It may also be used for a 1-mark extract-based question.
Most asked: Explain the extended metaphor of fog as a cat. · Identify and explain personification in the poem. · Why is the poem considered free verse? · What does 'on silent haunches' mean? · Describe the imagery used in the poem.
Don't skip: Explain how the poet uses an extended metaphor to describe the fog. (3-4 marks); Analyze the use of personification in the poem 'Fog'. (3 marks); Why does the poet choose to write in free verse? (2-3 marks)
Safe to skip: Nothing can be safely skipped. Every line and device is testable.
One-Line Revision (read aloud before the exam)
  1. The poem 'Fog' is written by Carl Sandburg.
  2. The fog is compared to a cat through an extended metaphor.
  3. The fog comes 'on little cat feet', meaning it arrives silently and softly.
  4. The fog 'sits looking' over the harbour and city, personifying it as a cat observing.
  5. The phrase 'on silent haunches' reinforces the cat-like posture of the fog.
  6. The poem has no rhyme scheme; it is an example of free verse.
  7. The poem is only six lines long and uses very concise language.
  8. The central theme is the transient, quiet beauty of nature.
  9. The fog 'moves on' suddenly, just as it arrived.
  10. The poet uses visual and tactile imagery to create the cat comparison.
  11. Enjambment is used to carry the sentence across lines, e.g., 'The fog comes / on little cat feet'.
  12. The tone of the poem is calm, observant, and detached.
  13. The poem does not have a moral lesson; it is a pure observation.
  14. 'Haunches' refers to the hind legs of an animal, not human hips.

MCQs — 10 Questions with Answers

Q1. What does Sandburg compare the fog to in the poem?

  • A. A cat moving silently ✓
  • B. A dog howling in the distance
  • C. A bird flying overhead
  • D. A train passing through the city

Answer: A — The fog is metaphorically compared to a cat through details like little cat feet, haunches, and silent movement.

Q2. Which literary device is primarily used in 'Fog'?

  • A. Simile
  • B. Metaphor ✓
  • C. Alliteration
  • D. Hyperbole

Answer: B — Metaphor directly compares fog to a cat without using 'like' or 'as', making it a pure metaphor rather than simile.

Q3. What does the word 'haunches' in the poem mean?

  • A. The front legs of the animal
  • B. The hind legs or hindquarters in a sitting position ✓
  • C. The tail of the animal
  • D. The neck and shoulders

Answer: B — Haunches refer to the hind legs or hindquarters, depicting the fog sitting in a cat-like crouching position.

Q4. How does the fog arrive according to the poem?

  • A. Loudly and suddenly
  • B. On little cat feet, silently and gently ✓
  • C. In heavy waves
  • D. With great force and noise

Answer: B — The first line states 'The fog comes on little cat feet,' emphasizing its silent and gentle arrival.

Q5. What is the main theme of 'Fog' by Carl Sandburg?

  • A. The dangers of foggy weather
  • B. The city's relationship with nature
  • C. The silent, transient nature of fog ✓
  • D. The importance of observing the sky

Answer: C — The poem emphasizes fog's quiet arrival, observation of the landscape, and silent departure, highlighting its transient beauty.

Q6. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the fog as described by Sandburg?

  • A. It arrives silently
  • B. It sits and observes the city
  • C. It creates loud sounds ✓
  • D. It eventually moves on

Answer: C — The poem emphasizes the fog's silence and quiet nature; it explicitly does not create loud sounds.

Q7. The poem 'Fog' is written in which poetic form?

  • A. Sonnet with fourteen lines
  • B. Free verse with no regular rhyme scheme ✓
  • C. Haiku with five-seven-five syllables
  • D. Limerick with a strict rhyme pattern

Answer: B — Free verse is poetry without a fixed rhyme scheme or metrical pattern, which applies to Sandburg's 'Fog'.

Q8. When the fog 'sits looking over harbour and city,' which device does the poet use?

  • A. Metaphor only
  • B. Simile only
  • C. Personification with metaphor ✓
  • D. Alliteration with metaphor

Answer: C — Personification gives fog human actions like sitting and looking, while metaphor compares fog to a cat.

Q9. What does the phrase 'on silent haunches' suggest about the fog's nature? (Scenario-based)

  • A. The fog is fast-moving and aggressive
  • B. The fog is stationary and permanent
  • C. The fog is quiet, poised, and ready to observe ✓
  • D. The fog is noisy and disturbing

Answer: C — Silent haunches (cat sitting position) suggest the fog is calm, observant, and present in a gentle, unobtrusive manner.

Q10. How does Sandburg convey the ephemeral nature of fog in the poem? (HOTS)

  • A. By describing its color and density
  • B. By showing it arrives, observes briefly, and then moves on ✓
  • C. By comparing it to permanent structures
  • D. By listing all the things it covers

Answer: B — The poem's structure (arrival, sitting/observing, and moving on) emphasizes fog's temporary, transient presence in nature.

Flashcards

What does 'little cat feet' refer to in the poem?

It is a metaphor comparing the silent, soft, and gentle arrival of fog to the quiet movement of a cat's feet.

Who is the poet of 'Fog'?

Carl Sandburg wrote the poem 'Fog' in his characteristic free verse style.

What does 'haunches' mean in the context of the poem?

Haunches refers to the hind legs of an animal in a sitting position, emphasizing the cat-like posture of the fog.

What is a metaphor and how is it used in 'Fog'?

A metaphor is a direct comparison between two unlike things; the entire poem compares fog to a cat without using 'like' or 'as'.

Does the poem have a regular rhyme scheme?

No, 'Fog' is written in free verse, which means it does not follow a regular rhyme scheme or metrical pattern.

What does the fog observe in the poem?

The fog sits looking over the harbour and city on silent haunches, observing the landscape below.

What poetic device is used when the fog 'sits' and 'moves'?

Personification is used, giving the fog human and animal qualities like sitting and moving intentionally.

What is the mood of the poem 'Fog'?

The mood is quiet, contemplative, and peaceful, emphasizing the silent and gentle nature of fog's arrival and departure.

Why does Sandburg compare fog to a cat and not to other animals?

Cats are silent, graceful, observant, and move without warning—qualities that match the fog's silent approach, observation, and gentle movement.

What does 'then moves on' suggest about the fog?

It suggests the transient and temporary nature of fog; it arrives, observes briefly, and departs without leaving a lasting impact.

Important Board Questions

How does the poet personify the fog in the poem? Give two examples from the text. [2 marks]

Look for human or animal actions given to fog. Examples: 'sits', 'looking', 'moves on'. Explain how these create personification.

Identify three things that suggest the fog is like a cat. How do these comparisons help us understand fog better? [3 marks]

Evidence: little cat feet (silent), hunches (sitting position), moves on (quiet departure). Connect each to fog's actual characteristics.

Analyze the use of free verse in 'Fog' and explain how it contributes to the poem's meaning. How does the lack of rhyme and regular meter reflect the subject matter? [5 marks]

Free verse lacks rigid structure, allowing natural rhythm and flow. Connect this to fog's formless, flowing nature. Discuss how free verse emphasizes subtlety and simplicity over formal patterns.

Assertion-Reason Questions for Fog

Q1. Assertion (A):

The fog is compared to a cat in the poem.

Reason (R):

The poet uses the metaphor 'on little cat feet' and describes the fog sitting on 'silent haunches'.

Answer: A — Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A — The assertion is true because the poem clearly compares fog to a cat. The reason correctly explains this by citing the metaphor and the cat-like posture, so both are true and the reason explains the assertion.

Q2. Assertion (A):

The poem 'Fog' has a regular rhyme scheme.

Reason (R):

Free verse poetry does not follow a fixed rhyme or rhythm pattern.

Answer: D — A is false but R is true — The assertion is false because the poem is free verse and has no regular rhyme scheme. The reason is true as free verse indeed lacks fixed rhyme or rhythm. Since the assertion is false and the reason is true, option D is correct.

Q3. Assertion (A):

The fog in the poem is portrayed as a permanent feature of the landscape.

Reason (R):

The poem ends with the fog moving on, indicating its temporary nature.

Answer: D — A is false but R is true — The assertion is false because the fog is temporary, not permanent. The reason is true as 'moves on' shows its transient nature. Since the assertion is false and the reason is true, option D is correct.

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Case-Based Questions (CBQ) for Fog

Case Study:

The fog comes on little cat feet. It sits looking over harbour and city on silent haunches and then moves on.

Q1.

    Answer:

    Q2.

      Answer:

      Q3.

        Answer:

        Q4.

          Answer:

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