About the Author
Carl Sandburg was an American poet born in 1878. He came from a poor family in Illinois. His parents were from Sweden. He did many jobs like driving a milk truck and working in fields. He fought in a war and later wrote poems and books. He won three big prizes called Pulitzer Prizes for his poetry and a book about Abraham Lincoln. He loved writing about city life and nature. He died in 1967. His poem "Fog" shows how he saw simple things like fog in a fun way.
What’s the Story About?
This is a short poem, not a long tale. It talks about fog coming to a city and a harbour by the water.
The poet says the fog comes quietly, like a cat on its small soft feet. You hardly hear or see it at first. It moves slow and sneaky, just like a cat walking without noise.
Then, the fog sits still. It looks over the harbour and the city. It bends its back low, like a cat sitting on its bent legs, watching everything quietly.
After some time, the fog gets up and moves away. It goes on its way, leaving the place clear again.
The poem uses a cat to show how fog acts – soft, quiet, and quick to come and go. It makes fog seem alive and fun, not just a wet cloud. This helps us see nature in a new way.
Who’s Who in the Story
- The Fog – A thick mist like a cloud on the ground. It comes quietly like a cat, sits and looks over the city and harbour, then moves away.
- The Cat – Not a real cat, but a comparison. It shows how the fog walks softly, sits silently, and disappears quickly.
- The Poet (Carl Sandburg) – The observer who watches the fog and compares it to a cat, helping readers imagine it clearly.
- The Harbour and City – Real places covered by fog. They are like the places the cat quietly watches before moving on.
Themes and Moral
Themes (Main Ideas)
- Nature's Beauty – Fog looks plain but is quiet and pretty like a cat.
- Coming and Going – Things in life come slow and leave fast, like fog.
- Quiet Change – Fog changes the view without noise or fight.
Moral (Lesson)
- Look at simple things closely. Even fog can teach us about grace and quiet ways.
- Nature is like life. It moves on its own, soft and without care for us.
Important Vocabulary and Phrases
- Fog – Thick white mist that hides things. Example: The fog comes to the city.
- Little cat feet – Small, soft paws of a cat. Example: Fog comes on little cat feet.
- Sits looking – Stays still and watches quietly. Example: It sits looking over the water and houses.
- Harbour – Safe place for boats near the water. Example: Fog looks over harbour and city.
- Silent haunches – Quiet, bent legs or back like a sitting cat. Example: On silent haunches, like a cat sits.
- Moves on – Goes away to another place. Example: Then the fog moves on.
- Metaphor – A comparison without using “like” or “as.” Example: Fog is a metaphor for a cat.
- Personification – Giving human actions to non-living things. Example: Fog sits and looks like a person.
- Free verse – A poem with no fixed rhyme or rhythm. Example: The poem “Fog” is written in free verse.
- Imagery – Words that create a picture in the reader’s mind. Example: The poem paints fog like a quiet, watching cat.
Quick Tip for Students
Read the poem out loud. Picture a cat sneaking in your house. That is how fog feels! Think how nature surprises us every day.