Fog By Carl Sandburg About this Poet Poet Carl Sandburg was born into a poor family in Galesburg, Illinois. We also know that cats come and go quietly, and they do so when they want to, so it is not unusual to find a harbor a little scary before the sun rises. Write a poem of your own using a metaphor to describe something following the same pattern Sandburg did (6 lines following the 3 syllable/4 syllable pattern). Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. The poet does not follow any identifiable rhyme scheme in this poem. The movement of the fog that the poet sees over Chicago is similar to the movement of a cat. Learn more about fog (see resources below). “The fog comes; On little cat feet. ©2021 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Transferred epithet: This rhetorical device is used when an emotion is attributed to a non-living thing after being displaced from a person, most often the poet himself or herself. It sits looking. The fog comes on little cat feet. (Little cat feet as a metaphor for fog.) How does the fog come? Lines 1-2. The effect is one that gets us imagining the fog in a catlike way right from the beginning. It approaches the Chicago harbour as it is attracted to the water particles present there. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. Why do you think Sandburg chose to leave white space between the first two lines of the poem and the last four? But it is only a temporary visitor. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. The poet actually uses metaphor to show resemblance between the coming of a cat and the fog. It is not literally that the cat’s haunches are silent, for they don’t even have the ability to speak, but that the way in which the cat sits on its haunches does not make any sound. This emphasis on realism, again, is a quality of the modernist movement, in which Carl Sandburg, as an Imagist poet, was writing. 4) Sandburg uses a metaphor in "Fog" to describe--a) the movement of a cat. Carl Sandburg uses metaphor in his famous poem, "Fog," when he wrote, "the fog comes on little cat feet." Write a poem of your own using a metaphor to describe something following the same pattern Sandburg did (6 lines following the 3 syllable/4 syllable pattern). A metaphor makes a direct comparison between two or more seemingly unrelated objects or creatures and assigns characteristics from the one to the other in order to create a visual picture. Following poetic/literary devices have been used in the poem Fog by Carl Sandburg: Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.In the poem fog and the movements of fog are compared with cat. It starts quickly, as the "fog comes / on little cat feet..." with the "f" sound being most prominent. Hence it would not be wrong to assume that such a major historical event must have been at the back of Sandburg’s mind while writing this poem. When I write. Secondly, what are the poetic devices used in the poem fog? Fog describes a typical dense fog which often catches people unexpectedly and dissipates quickly; much like a stealthy cat which perhaps appears as if from nowhere and then leaves unseen. The substance of the poem is a metaphor. on little cat feet. Perhaps the poet wants to emphasize the silent nature and mysterious ways of the fog, so he has compared the fog … These are both dissimilar things, yet their comparison seems apt to us, as it had in Pound’s poem as well. In this case, the fog is compared to little cat feet. Explanation: Carl Sandburg's 'Fog” has two central themes which mainly describe the attitude of man towards nature and how change is an inevitable part of a natural process. Ans. The poetic device used by the poet here is ‘metaphor’. Fog. The fog takes the shape of a cat as it “sits looking over harbor and city” (570. Thus, he had evoked a concrete image of the natural world to describe something he had seen in the urban cityscape of the 20th century. Draw a picture of a literal interpretation of this metaphor on the whiteboard, projector, or interactive whiteboard. 1919. The fact that the poem is so short reinforces the image of the fog as compared to the nature of a cat and creates a situation where man has no control. How it silently appears in places and then silently moves on. Learn more about fog (see resources below). Sandburg was inspired to write this poem when he saw the fog roll in to the Chicago harbor. The fog in its cat-like state does as it pleases. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on. “Fog” was part of Carl Sandburg’s first poetry collection, Chicago Poems, published in 1916. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Fog by Carl Sandburg. 3) what is the main action of the second stanza of "Fog"? Sandburg was inspired to write it one day out walking near Chicago's Grant Park. It comes and it goes surreptitiously and silently. Figures of speech allow poets in particular to create special effects without any real pictures. Copy and illustrate the poem using Drawing & Writing paper. In this poem, the poet uses the device of extended metaphor by comparing the fog with a cat throughout the entire length of the poem. He also says that the fog ‘sits looking over harbour and city and then moves on’. c) fog lifts. The poem reads as follows: The fog comeson little cat feet. Already a member? This poem is in the public domain. In his youth, he worked many odd jobs before serving in the 6th Illinois Infantry in Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War. When Sandburg … Going by the poet’s words, that place is Grant Park. It reminded me of one of a poem I love, FOG, by Carl Sandburg, written in 1916. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on. Fog - by Carl Sandburg.The fog comes on little cat feet. Comments about Fog by Carl Sandburg. Hence the fog could be a symbol of the fear that was present in people’s mind about the Great War. This poem 'Fog' by 'Carl Sandburg' is a wonderful short poem that uses 'metaphor'. May 12, 2010 in Uncategorized. c) more fog arrives. The poet has called this poem an “American haiku”. Short Type Questions : Marks : 2/3; How does the poet describe the fog as if it were a living being? The whole poem is an extended metaphor. It does not have a rhyme scheme or meter. Fog Alliteration is used in Fog to create a rhythm, giving it pace. It arrives whenever it wants to and it leaves or "moves on" when it is ready and not at any predetermined time or rate. Extended metaphor: Also known as a conceit or sustained metaphor, this rhetorical device is used when an author exploits a single metaphor or analogy at length through multiple linked vehicles, tenors, and grounds throughout a poem or story. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on. Some Important Facts About Cisco 300-425 Exam Questions, The New Colossus Analysis by Emma Lazarus, Invictus Analysis by William Ernest Henley. "Fog" uses metaphor, while "Mending Wall" does not. Copy and illustrate the poem using Drawing & Writing paper. This poem is comparing a fog to a cat-like a metaphor. The first strange thing about the metaphor is the comparison of a phenomenon with a living animal. d) cats sit and stare. "Fog" uses everyday language, while "Mending Wall" does not. We’ve discounted annual subscriptions by 50% for COVID-19 relief—Join Now! and then moves on. The only way in which Sandburg departs from a traditional haiku as well as the haiku of Pound is to extend its length from 3 lines to 6 lines. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on. Home KARL THE FOG FOG by CARL SANDBURG | IN HINDI || KARL THE FOG; FOG by CARL SANDBURG | IN HINDI || By. Sandburg’s comparison is a metaphor. Figurative Language Poem 1: Sketch by Carl Sandburg. Start your 48-hour free trial and unlock all the summaries, Q&A, and analyses you need to get better grades now. It reminded me of one of a poem I love, FOG, by Carl Sandburg, written in 1916. The "s" sound (including the c in city) enhances the somber mood and makes the reader almost want to whisper. As we know, this poem was published in 1916, at the height of the First World War. However, we can argue that this is not such a major extension and that in any case each of his lines is very short; much shorter than any line in Pound’s haiku in fact. An analysis of the most important parts of the poem Fog by Carl Sandburg, written in an easy-to-understand format. This short poem describes ships on the shore and a rolling tide. When Sandburg writes the fog comes on little cat feet he is using a metaphor saying something (fog) is something else (cat feet). Explain that a metaphor compares two things without using the words "like" or "as" at all. The fog comes on little cat feet. FOG The fog comes in on little cat feet. on silent haunches. b) the way day becomes night in foggy weather. When I write. In the poem, what metaphor is Sandburg using? Ans: Carl Sandburg wrote the poem, “Fog”. He had with him a book of Japanese haiku, the short 17-syllable poems that capture essences of the natural world. Top subjects are Literature, Social Sciences, and Science. This part of the interpretation of the poem is rather difficult, and it has drawn a variety of responses from various critics. What does the poet think the fog is like? He used simple imagery, personification and a metaphor to compare fog to the movement of a cat. In the above mentioned poem, Pound had compared the faces of the people he had seen in an underground metro station with white petals on the black bough of a tree. Using a metaphor, Sandburg makes the fog come to life as if it actually had its own eyes to be able to overlook the city. Top subjects are Literature, Math, and Social Sciences. over harbour and sky. Ans: The poet says that the fog comes ‘on little cat feet’. Before Sandburg, another very eminent American poet … by Carl Sandburg. a) cats live in harbors. But, Sandburg doesn't fail to use intense imagery and personification in these few lines. Over harbour and city. Log in here. Before Sandburg, another very eminent American poet had used the form of the haiku, and that was Ezra Pound. Setting of the poem: This poem seems to be set at a place from which one can get a panoramic view of both the city of Chicago and its harbour. Explain that Sandburg is not literally saying that the fog comes in on little cat feet. (1885–1977). (Little cat feet as a metaphor for fog.) Modern American Poetry. 2. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. The Carl Sandburg who wrote it didn’t intend it to be a lesson. Is Sandburg’s comparison of the fog to a cat a metaphor or a simile? KTFadmin - January 23, 2019. A frog’s a song Heard in the fog. Some have equated the fog with lack of clarity, and some with fear of the unknown. The faces in the underground metro station had seemed spectral and ghostly to him, for none of them were talking to each other. The poet has seen fog before, but it has never awed him as it does now with its implication of an impending and unknown threat that cannot be clearly seen, felt, or understood. Sign up now. Metaphor:the poetic device of metaphor is strongly used in the poem. Sandburg wrote simply and was known to use the “language of the people.” This poem was no different. If we look at a poem like “In a Station of the Metro”, we will see that Pound had stuck to the 3 line structure of the haiku, and had used an extended metaphor to fulfil his poetic purpose. Sandburg also makes use of extended metaphor in the same way in this poem “Fog”. Are you a teacher? A haiku is a Japanese poetic form, traditionally made up of 3 lines, and evoking images of the natural world. d) fog sits then leaves. This was the first war in which such massive destruction of property and loss of young lives had happened, and people really didn’t know what to expect next, or when it would all come to a stop. Even though the poem is about fog, through metaphor, the fog becomes creeping little cat feet, which elicits visual, tactile and kinesthetic imagery. How to Crack Your CompTIA 220-1001 with Practice Tests? “Fog” is likely the most well-known poem by Carl Sandburg without Chicago in its title, and it appears in many school textbooks where it serves as an introduction to metaphor. The fog then simply sits on its "silent haunches," thereby extending the metaphor as the fog is still being compared to a cat. In the poem Tog’, Carl Sandburg has metaphorically compared the fog to a cat. The poet has called this poem an “American haiku”. It sits looking                   Fog is given the human ability to sit and look. We get the subject and the metaphor within these first two lines that compare the fog to a cat without using the words "like" or "as." Fog by Carl Sandburg Analysis. Read the poem "Fog," by Carl Sandburg. It sits looking. It then slows down as it "sits looking / over harbor and city / on silent haunches." It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on. Carl Sandburg And A Summary of Fog "Fog" is probably Carl Sandburg's best-known poem and has been a popular choice for study since it was first published in Chicago Poems in 1916. Carl Sandburg is well known for his collection of poems about Chicago after the turn of the twentieth century. Carl Sandburg is well known for his collection of poems about Chicago after the turn of the twentieth century. In order to describe Chicago, Sandburg relies on the strategies of simile and metaphor. What is the main difference between Sandburg's "Fog" and Frost's "Mending Wall"? _____ Fog is a short poem, consisting of six lines, and split into two stanzas. It is not there to stay, and it leaves as suddenly as it had come. If we look at a poem like “In a Station of the Metro”, we will see that Pound had stuck to the 3 line structure of the haiku, and had used an extended metaphor … b) some animals are nocturnal. In Carl Sandburg’s short poem "Primer Lesson," the implied metaphor is the comparison between what Sandburg refers to as “proud words” and a long, "hard" pair of boots. Suggested reading level for this text: Grade 3-7. The poem is free verse. Carl Sandburg The fog comes ... Cats have always symbolized mystery or magic, so it is not surprising that he chose to use a cat as a metaphor for the fog. The imagery in this poem is particularly unique, since it relies on a single metaphor to give it a focused center. The fog comes. Questions of Fog by Carl Sandburg. Fog by Carl Sandburg Intro Carl Sandburg's six line poem, "Fog", is short and unlike most poems, very easy to understand. The "harbor" and "haunches" also contribute to this. From there, one can easily get a full perspective of the entire area covered by the fog as it envelops the city and then also retreats after some time. Ans: The fog comes silently as if on little cat feet. FOG The fog comes in on little cat feet. It uses repetition really nicely as well as personification, hyperbole, metaphor, and alliteration. 1. Now, Pound had used the haiku to depict the solitude and anomie of common man in the modernist era. Louis Untermeyer, ed. In the poem, what metaphor is Sandburg using? He compares the fog with the concrete image of a cat. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on. A haiku is a Japanese poetic form, traditionally made up of 3 lines, and evoking images of the natural world. This gives the reader a wide range of emotions and interpretations 1878– 76. The fog comes on little cat feet.. Sandburg isn't wasting any time. Carl Sandburg. Start studying "Fog" -- Carl Sandburg. This leads us to believe that Sandburg too must have wanted to use the form of the haiku to speak about some aspect of modernist life. The reader of Fog can imagine the fog almost creeping around on its "little cat feet" as it begins to enter the space, in this case, the "harbor and city." that is a metaphor because I am linking the frog in the fog to a song with is, the verb to be, elided into the frog with an apostrophe s (frog’s). In this poem, the poet uses the device of transferred epithet in the 3rd line of the 2nd stanza when he writes the phrase “silent haunches”. The fog comes on little cat feet. Carl Sandburg uses personification in the poem Fog. It does not settle down into one place, and sits on its haunches, ready to leave at a moment’s notice. He studied at Lombard College, and then moved to …