by Short Summary of the Poem
In this poem, the poet compares the fog to a cat — one that comes softly, observes the harbour and the city for a while, and then leaves silently. The poem is written in free verse, which gives it a very natural and simple flow. It portrays fog as a mysterious and unpredictable natural phenomenon.
Main Theme of the Poem
The main theme of Carl Sandburg’s poem “Fog” is the mysterious and magical nature of fog and its effect on our senses. The poet describes fog as a soft, grey blanket that covers the whole city and quiets down all sounds, creating a sense of peace and stillness. It shows how fog can make even familiar things look strange and unfamiliar, hiding the reality of the world. The poem emphasizes how nature has the power to influence our feelings and emotions in subtle but powerful ways.
Poetic Devices used in the Poem
- Metaphor: The poetic device where comparison is done without using “like” or “as”. In this poem, the fog is compared to a cat. Just like a cat walks quietly on its soft feet, the fog too moves silently toward the city and the harbour. It comes slowly and gently, covering everything around. After staying for a while, the fog disappears quietly, without anyone noticing — just like a cat that leaves the house silently.
- Enjambment: The poetic device where the poem doesn’t end with punctuation marks.
- Personification: When any inanimate objects or abstract things are given human-like qualities. In this poem, Fog has been personified. For example, Fog comes, it sits.
Poem
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbour and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
Explanation
The poet compares the fog to a cat. Just as a cat walks quietly on its soft feet, the fog too arrives silently.
The fog settles over the city and the harbour just like a cat sits on its haunches, calmly observing its surroundings. It covers the area for some time and then moves on quietly without making any noise.
This imagery makes the fog appear as a mysterious and unpredictable natural phenomenon — no one knows when it will come or when it will go.
For exam, just remember these points:
- Fog = cat imagery
- Poetic device = Metaphor (fog compared to cat)
- Form = Free verse (no rhyme scheme)
- Idea = Fog aati hai, thodi der tikti hai, silently chale jaati hai → mysterious & unpredictable
