Sandburg’s poem “Fog” describes a simple natural phenomenon: fog creeping into a harbour and city. He compares the fog’s movement to a cat’s stealthy approach, suggesting a quiet and almost imperceptible arrival.
Poem “Fog”
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbour and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
Explanation and Analysis:
The poem describes the arrival and departure of fog in a harbour city. Here’s a simple explanation:
- The fog comes quietly, like a cat, and sits overlooking the harbor and city.
- It remains still for a while, observing its surroundings.
- Then, it moves on, disappearing as quietly as it arrived.
Line by Line Explanation:
Let’s try to understand the poem “Fog” by Carl Sandburg line by line:
- The fog comes on little cat feet.
- The poet compares the fog to a cat. Just like a cat walks quietly on its soft paws, the fog arrives silently without making any noise.
- It sits looking over harbour and city on silent haunches.
- Once the fog arrives, it lingers over the city and the harbour, much like a cat would sit quietly, watching its surroundings.
- And then moves on.
- After some time, the fog leaves just as quietly and smoothly as it came, similar to how a cat might get up and leave after sitting for a while.
The poem’s deeper meaning lies in its imagery and symbolism.
- Cat Feet: By comparing fog to a cat, Sandburg suggests its quiet, almost unseen approach. Cats are often associated with stealth and mystery, mirroring the way fog can suddenly appear and disappear.
- Silent Haunches: The image of the fog “sitting looking” on silent haunches implies a sense of observation and perhaps even contemplation. It’s as if the fog is watching the city and harbour, taking in its sights and sounds before moving on. The cat also does the same – it sits for a while on haunches so that she has a look over the surroundings.
- Movement: The fog’s movement is described as “on,” suggesting a continuous, forward motion. This could symbolize the constant ebb and flow of life, the ever-changing nature of things.
Analysis of “Fog” Poem:
- The fog as a metaphor:
- The fog represents things that come and go in life quietly and subtly, without causing a big disturbance and perhaps unnoticed at first. It could symbolize uncertainty, change, or even a sense of mystery that temporarily covers or obscures what we see clearly.
- Just like the fog, some experiences or emotions might come into our lives silently, stay for a bit, and then disappear without us even noticing their arrival or departure.
- The cat imagery:
- By comparing the fog to a cat, Sandburg suggests that not all things that come into our lives are forceful or loud. Some changes are subtle and quiet but can still have a significant presence before they pass.
- The transient nature of fog:
- The poem captures the idea of change and the transient nature of things—how some events or feelings appear briefly and then fade away. Just as the fog comes and goes, situations in life change, and nothing stays the same forever.
Overall, Sandburg uses the image of a cat-like fog to symbolize how certain aspects of life can come and go quietly, without warning, but also without causing harm. The descriptive imagery of how fog appears and disappears quietly, symbolizing the transient, subtle, and mysterious nature of some experiences in life. The simplicity of the poem mirrors the simplicity and calmness of these moments.
