1. The poet and the poem
Read the poem itself in your textbook, First Flight (NCERT), aloud, twice. This lesson is SOYL's explanation; it does not reproduce the poem.
Carl Sandburg (1878–1967) was an American poet, journalist and biographer, known as a poet of Chicago and of working people. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, two for poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. Fog first appeared in Chicago Poems (1916).
| About the poet | |
|---|---|
| Poet | Carl Sandburg (1878–1967), American poet, journalist and biographer |
| Known as | a poet of Chicago and of working people |
| Honours | three Pulitzer Prizes: two for poetry, one for his Abraham Lincoln biography |
| This poem | first published in Chicago Poems (1916) |
2. What happens (SOYL summary)
Stanza 1 (two lines): the fog arrives silently, the way a cat creeps in on padded paws.
Stanza 2 (four lines): it settles on its back legs and gazes, still and silent, over a harbour and a city; then it gets up and leaves without warning.
3. Themes and message
- Nature's quiet power: fog takes over a whole city without a sound.
- Independence: fog, like a cat, comes and goes on its own terms; humans cannot control it.
- Transience: the visit is brief, as beautiful moments are.
- Fresh seeing: a nuisance is shown as graceful and calm.
4. The extended metaphor, devices and form
Extended metaphor: the fog is never said to be like a cat; it simply behaves as one, from arrival to departure. The comparison works because both are silent, still, watchful and independent.
Other devices: visual imagery (the fog over a harbour and a city).
Form: free verse, six short lines in two stanzas, plain words; one clear image in the manner of imagism. The brevity mirrors fog's brief visit.
| The cat | The fog |
|---|---|
| steps softly on padded paws | creeps in without a sound |
| sits still on its back legs | settles low and lingers |
| watches calmly, says nothing | hangs over the city, silent |
| leaves when it chooses | lifts unpredictably |
| Device | Where in the poem (described) | A SOYL example of the device |
|---|---|---|
| Extended metaphor | the fog behaves as a cat from first line to last | The traffic jam was a python: it coiled round the square, swallowed buses and slept till noon. |
| Visual imagery | the fog resting above a harbour and a city | Lanterns bobbing on a dark river. |
| Free verse | no rhyme or regular rhythm | Lines that follow the eye, not a beat. |
| Brevity (imagism) | one clear picture in six short lines | A single red leaf on fresh snow. |
Key terms
- Metaphor
A comparison made without like or as.
- Extended metaphor
One comparison carried through a whole poem.
- Imagism
A style of poetry that presents one precise image in plain, few words.
5. Tone and mood
Calm, quiet and observant; the mood is peaceful and slightly mysterious. The poem leaves out fog's dangers and shows only its grace.
6. Words and terms
Words from the poem and terms for discussing it.
| Word or term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| haunches | the hips and back legs on which an animal sits |
| harbour | a sheltered stretch of water where ships anchor |
| metaphor | a comparison made without like or as |
| extended metaphor | one comparison carried through a whole poem |
| imagism | a style that presents one precise image in few words |
| transience | the quality of lasting only a short time |
7. Answering exam questions
Extract-based (5 marks): the board prints the poem's lines; SOYL practice uses commentary passages instead. Expect questions on the comparison, the cat's actions, the device, the form and the mood.
Short answers (3 marks, 40–50 words): point + cat-like action in your own words + what it shows about fog.
Practise with the poem itself in First Flight; never reproduce its lines in an answer.
Exam tips
Board weight: reference-to-context extract (5) and short answers (3 marks, 40–50 words) on First Flight poems (CBSE 2026-27, Section C).
How marks are awarded: a correct point, support from the poem in your own words, and accurate expression within the word limit.
Common mistakes
- Writing out the poem; it is so short that any phrase reproduces it.
- Calling the comparison a simile.
- Describing the fog as frightening.
- Saying the poem rhymes.
- Listing the cat's actions without linking them to fog.
Remember: read the poem in your textbook, First Flight.