Fog

Textual Solutions for Class 10 English 

Poem – Fog

The poem "Fog" by Carl Sandberg talks about fog on a winter day in Chicago. Fog forms when there's moisture in the air. Sandberg compares fog to a cat walking quietly. It comes suddenly and doesn't bother anyone. Like a cat, it's subtle yet assertive. The fog sits and watches the world from afar, unaffected by the hustle and bustle of city life. Then, just as quickly as it came, it disappears, moving on.

1. (i) What does Sandburg think the fog is like?
(ii) How does the fog come?
(iii) What does ‘it’ in the third line refer to?
(iv) 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.

According to Carl Sandburg, the fog appears like a cat. The fog comes silently like a cat on its little feet.

In the third line, the term ‘it’ refers to the fog that has covered the city like a thick blanket and it seemed to look over the city like a cat.

No, the poet didn’t wish to convey that the fog looked like a cat. He used the cat as a metaphor to describe the onset of the fog that covers the city. Here are some lines that describe it:

(i) The fog comes silently on its little cat feet.

(ii) It looks over the harbour and city like a cat.

(iii) Just like a cat, it sits on silent haunches and watches over the city.

2. You know that a metaphor compares two things by transferring a feature of one thing to the other (See Unit 1).

(i) Find metaphors for the following words and complete the table below.

Storm	tiger	pounces over the fields, growls
Train
Fire
School
Home

Also try to say how they are alike. The first is done for you.

(ii) Think about a storm. Try to visualise the force of the storm, hear the sound of the storm, feel the power of the storm and the sudden calm that happens afterwards. Write a poem about the storm, comparing it with an animal.

(i)

Storm	tiger	pounces over the fields, growls
Train	wind	moves swiftly with a rushing sound
Fire	sun	full of light and energy
School	temple	teaches moral values and virtues of life
Home	nest	provides hospitable and comfortable shelter to live with near and dear ones

(ii)In the heart of the tempest's roar,

A beast unleashed, a lion's roar.

Its fury fierce, its wrath untamed,

In wild dance, the sky inflamed.

Thunderous growls pierce the night,

Lightning strikes, a fearsome sight.

Winds howl like wolves in the dark,

Tearing through the land, leaving its mark.

But as swiftly as it came,

The storm begins to lose its flame.

A gentle hush, a peaceful lull,

As the beast retreats, no longer full.

The calm descends, the air serene,

The sky, a canvas, tranquil and clean.

The storm, a mighty lion, now at rest,

Leaving behind a world refreshed.

(Note: Students can write this answer as per their personal experiences.)

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

No, this poem does not have a rhyme scheme as the sentences do not have rhyming words. It is written in free verse with no set pattern of rhyming words towards the end of each sentence.