GSEB Class 10 English Solutions Chapter 9 Fog

Thinking about the Poem

Question 1.
(1) What does Sandburg think the fog is like ?
(2) How does the fog come ?
(3) What does 'it' in the third line refer to?
(4) 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.

Answer:
(1) According to Sandburg, the fog resembles a cat.
(2) The fog arrives on small cat feet.
(3) In the third line, 'it' signifies the fog that has enveloped the city, appearing as though it is observing the city like a cat.
(4) No, the poet does not explicitly state that the fog is like a cat. However, he has used a cat as a comparison to describe the fog. He mentions that the fog arrives on its small cat feet, which suggests that the fog resembles a cat as it approaches slowly. He also states that the fog observes the harbour and the city and then departs, meaning the fog has enveloped the city and is remaining there, watching, thus again likening it to a cat. This idea is strengthened when he says the fog watches over the city while resting on quiet haunches. This further indicates the connection to a cat, as cats typically sit with their knees bent. Therefore, he has drawn a parallel between the fog and a cat without directly saying so.
In simple words: The poet does not directly call the fog a cat. Instead, he uses cat-like descriptions like "little cat feet" and "sits looking" to suggest the fog's silent, slow movement and watchful presence. The idea of "silent haunches" further connects the fog's posture to a cat.

Exam Tip: When a question asks about a metaphor or simile, explain how the comparison is *implied* rather than explicitly stated, and provide specific phrases from the text that support your explanation.

Question 2. You know that a metaphor compares two things by transferring a feature of one thing to the other (See Unit 1).
(1) Find metaphors for the following words and complete the table below. Also try to say how they are alike. The first is done for you.

Answer:

In simple words: Metaphors help us understand one thing by comparing it to another without using "like" or "as." The table shows how different words can be compared to something else to highlight their shared qualities, like how a storm is like a tiger.

Exam Tip: When identifying metaphors, look for implicit comparisons between two unlike things. Always explain the shared characteristic that makes the metaphor effective.

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

Answer: No, this poem lacks a rhyme scheme. It is composed in free verse.
In simple words: This poem doesn't have a rhyming pattern at the end of its lines. It's written in 'free verse', which means it doesn't follow strict rules for rhythm or rhyme.

Exam Tip: To identify free verse, check if there's a consistent rhyming pattern or meter. If lines vary in length and end sounds, it's likely free verse.

Gseb Class 10 English Fog Additional Important Questions And Answers

Read the following stanzas carefully and answer the questions given below them:

The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbour and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

Questions:

Question. (1) What is the fog compared with ?
(2) Explain: 'It sits looking over harbour and city'
(3) Explain 'on silent haunches'.

Answer:
(1) The fog is contrasted with 'a kitten', 'a small cat'.
(2) Just as a small cat enters quietly without attracting attention and from its spot surveys a large area, the fog arrives very silently and extends across the entire harbour and city.
(3) The fog is likened to a small cat, which generally sneaks in and, without being observed, settles down, bending its knees for a while, meaning 'on silent haunches'.
In simple words: The fog is like a small cat. It quietly comes in and sits watching over the city and harbour, similar to a cat resting on its bent legs.

Exam Tip: When analyzing poetry, always link abstract descriptions to concrete images from the text. For comparisons, identify the specific actions or traits being linked.

Answer the following questions in three to four sentences each:

Question 1. How does the poet describe the fog as if it were a living being ?

Answer: The poet states that the fog arrives 'on tiny cat feet'. He further mentions that the fog 'sits observing over the harbour and city and then departs'. To highlight the similarity between the fog and a cat, the poet employs metaphorical expressions that depict the fog as if it were a living creature.
In simple words: The poet talks about the fog as if it's a living animal, saying it comes on "little cat feet," "sits looking," and then "moves on," giving it qualities like a cat.

Exam Tip: When asked about personification or descriptions of non-living things as living, quote specific phrases from the poem that attribute human or animal actions to the object.

Question 2. Name the three things that tell us that the fog is like a cat.

Answer: The three elements that indicate the fog is like a cat are:
(1) the fog is described as arriving on 'tiny cat feet',
(2) it 'remains observing' and
(3) it 'then departs'.
In simple words: The fog is like a cat because it comes quietly on "little cat feet", "sits looking" over the city, and then "moves on."

Exam Tip: For questions asking for specific details, list them clearly and concisely. Ensure each point directly answers the question.

Question 3. How is the fog like a cat ? What poetic device is used by the poet here ?

Answer: The fog arrives quietly, exactly as a cat does. It 'settles' (meaning it remains observing) over the harbour and the city and then 'departs' just like a cat. The poetic device used by the poet here is **metaphor**.
In simple words: The fog is like a cat because it arrives silently, sits watching over the city, and then leaves, all similar to a cat's behavior. The poet uses a metaphor to make this comparison.

Exam Tip: When identifying poetic devices, clearly name the device (e.g., metaphor, simile, personification) and explain *how* it is used in the specific lines of the poem.

Fog Summary In English

Fog Introduction:

Carl August Sandburg (January 6, 1878 - July 22, 1967) was an American poet, writer, and editor. He gained three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. Throughout his life, Sandburg was broadly recognized as a 'major figure in modern literature', especially for his collections of verse, including Chicago Poems (1916), Cornhuskers (1918), and Smoke and Steel (1920).

Fog Summary:

The fog drifts in over a harbour and city, appearing very much like a cat. Initially, it is calm and unnoticeable, similar to a cat. Then, once more resembling a cat, it departs and either vanishes or approaches another harbour/city quickly. The fog accomplishes all of this within just six lines of poetry.