Carl Sandburg’s “Fog” is a very short imagist poem that compares the fog to a cat. In just a few lines, the poet says the fog comes on “little cat feet”, silently and softly, the way a cat moves without a sound. It sits looking over the harbour and the city on its silent haunches, just as a cat sits quietly observing its surroundings, and then it moves on. Through this single, vivid metaphor, Sandburg captures the quiet, gentle and fleeting nature of fog — the way it arrives unnoticed, settles over a place for a while, and then drifts away. The poem is admired for showing how a powerful image can convey a whole idea in very few words, and it is a fine example of imagery and personification, comparing a natural phenomenon to a familiar living creature.
The story in 6 beats
1The fog arrives quietly and softly, like a cat walking on little feet.
2It reaches the harbour without making any sound.
3It also covers the city in the same silent way.
4The fog pauses and seems to sit on its haunches like a cat.
5It looks over the harbour and the city for a while.
6Then it moves away quietly, just as it came.
Fog compared to a catMetaphor and imageryPersonificationBrevity of imagist poetryQuiet, fleeting nature
Characters & key ideas
FFogThe natural phenomenon compared to a cat.
MMetaphorThe comparison of the fog to a cat throughout the poem.
““Little cat feet”The image of the fog arriving silently like a cat.
IImageryThe vivid picture created in very few words.
PPersonificationGiving the fog cat-like, living qualities.
CCarl SandburgThe poet who wrote “Fog”.
Word meanings · शब्दार्थ
comes
arrives
little cat feet
soft, silent movement like a cat
harbour
place where ships stay
sits
stays in one place
looking
watching
over
above; covering from high up
silent
without any sound
haunches
back legs and hips of an animal
then
after that
moves on
goes away; passes on
Extra questions & answers (board-style)
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Who wrote the poem “Fog”?
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