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  • Chapter – 6, Poem – Fog, NCERT, Class 10th, First Flight

    Fog

    By Carl Sandburg

    NCERT Questions & Answers (Page 115)

    Q1. (Thinking about the Poem)
    (i) What does Sandburg think the fog is like?
    Answer: Sandburg thinks the fog is like a little cat that comes silently on its soft feet.

    (ii) How does the fog come?
    Answer: The fog comes slowly, quietly, and silently, just like a cat moving on padded paws.

    (iii) What does ‘it’ in the third line refer to?
    Answer: The word ‘it’ refers to the fog.

    (iv) Does the poet actually say that the fog is like a cat? Find three things that tell us this.
    Answer: Yes, the poet uses a metaphor, directly comparing fog to a cat.

    • It comes on little cat feet.

    • It sits looking over the harbour and city.

    • It moves on after sitting quietly.

    ✦ Extra Questions & Answers

    Short Answer

    1. What quality of fog is highlighted in the poem?
      Its silent, mysterious arrival and departure.

    2. Why does Sandburg compare fog to a cat?
      Because both come quietly, stay silently, and leave without notice.

    3. What is the poem’s rhyme scheme?
      There is no set rhyme scheme. It is a free-verse poem.

    4. What does the fog do after sitting?
      It looks silently over the harbour and city, then slowly moves on.

    Long Answer

    Q. Discuss the symbolism used in Carl Sandburg’s poem Fog.
    Carl Sandburg’s poem Fog is a six-line free-verse poem that uses an extended metaphor to compare fog to a cat. Fog, like a cat, arrives quietly and mysteriously. It settles softly, covering the city and harbour, then moves on silently. By comparing fog to a cat, the poet emphasises the fog’s unpredictable, stealthy, and transient nature.

    Symbolically, the fog can represent life’s uncertainties — events and problems that appear suddenly, cloud our vision, stay for a while, and then pass. The cat image suggests patience and observation, as both the cat and fog seem to watch silently before departing. The poem’s brevity and simplicity reflect the short-lived yet powerful effect of fog.

    Thus, Sandburg’s use of metaphor creates vivid imagery, presenting fog not just as a weather phenomenon but as a living, breathing creature. The poem blends nature with imagination, leaving a lasting impression despite its simplicity.