“fog’ poem important questions given here include PYQs, SQPs, CBSE Question Bank and Extract based Question. These questions would help students prepare and revise well for the Class 10 Board Exam.
Fog Poem Questions: PYQs, SQPs & CFPQs
EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS
Read the following extract and answer the questions/ complete the sentences that follow:
SQP 2023-24
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbour and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
1. In what way does the language used in this poem challenge traditional ideas of what poetry should be?
2. What is the significance of the use of the word “little” to describe the fog in the poem and how does this word choice contribute to the overall mood and tone of the poem? Answer in about 40 words.
3. Complete the sentence with the appropriate option.
The lines from the poem tell us that the city is ___________.
(A) hilly (B) coastal
(C) industrial (D)under-developed
4. Identify the type of imagery used in the lines of the poem.
Answers:
1. In what way does the language used in this poem challenge traditional ideas of what poetry should be?
Ans. The poem challenges traditional poetry by using free verse instead of a fixed rhyme or rhythm. It is very short and uses simple, everyday language, unlike traditional poetry, which often has long, complex lines and structured stanzas.
2. What is the significance of the use of the word “little” to describe the fog in the poem, and how does this word choice contribute to the overall mood and tone of the poem?
The word “little” makes the fog seem soft, gentle, and harmless, like a small cat. This word creates a calm and mysterious mood rather than making the fog seem threatening. It emphasizes the quiet, delicate way the fog moves, making the poem feel peaceful.
3. Complete the sentence with the appropriate option.
The lines from the poem tell us that the city is (B) coastal.
Explanation: The poem mentions a harbor, which means the city is near water, making it a coastal area.
4. Identify the type of imagery used in the lines of the poem.
The poem uses visual imagery (“It sits looking over harbor and city”) and kinesthetics imagery (“moves on”), which help the reader picture the fog’s movement and presence in the city. The metaphor of a cat also adds animal imagery.
Read the following extract and answer the questions/ complete the sentences that follow:
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbour and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
i. Choose the option with qualities of the cat that Carl Sandburg applies to the fog?
(1) Cats are independent animals, they don’t follow rules, they slip and slide in and out of our lives as they please.
(2) Cats are distrustful of strangers and can be jealous and moody.
(3) Cats are stealthy, moving in slow motion at times and they appear to be moving in a mysterious fashion.
(4) Cats often communicate with a combination of a distinctive sound and body language.
(5) Cats like to move on at their own pace and before you know it, they’ve disappeared.
a) Only 1
b) 2, 3 and 4
c) 1,3 and 5
d) Only 4
ii. Which one/s of the following applies to the given lines?
1. Personification is a literary device where you give an animal, object or natural phenomenon, qualities or abilities that only a human can have.
3. Imagery is the language used by poets,
and writers to create visual representation
of ideas in the minds of the readers.
2. Transferred epithet is a literary device when an adjective usually used to describe one thing is transferred to another.
4. Oxymoron is a figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear side by side.
a) 1 and 4
b) 2 and 3
c) Only 1
d) Only 3
iii. Pick the option that includes an image of the cat on its haunches.
a. Option (1)
b. Option (2)
c. Option (3)
d. Option (4)
iv. Choose the option that DOES NOT list movement of the fog.
| 1. | It stole in on us like a foot-pad Somewhere out of the sea and air… -E.J.Pratt |
| 2. | A fog drifts in, the heavy-laden Cold white ghost of the sea – Sara Teasdale |
| 3. | The fog it tricks the eye The wonder of the veil of white Under the clear blue sky. – K.C.Cox |
| 4. | …comes gliding, rolling in at ground level, pressing its white featureless face against… – R.H.Grenville |
a. Option (1)
b. Option (2)
c. Option (3)
d. Option (4)
v. The poet has used short lines to compose the given poem. Choose the option that lists the most appropriate explanation for the same.
a. By keeping the lines short, the poet keeps the liberty in stepping away from rule, traditional form, logic, or fact, in order to produce a desired effect.
b. By keeping the lines short, the poet wants the reader to omit some parts
of a sentence, which gives the reader a chance to fill the gaps while reading it out.
c. By keeping the lines short, the poet wants to introduce ambiguity or contradiction into an otherwise straightforward sentence.
d. By keeping the lines short, the poet is controlling the pace to make the reader slow down thereby reflecting the slow rolling in of the fog.
Answers:
i. c
ii. d
iii. b
iv. c
v. d
CBSE Question Bank
1. Would you describe the role of the fog as active or passive? Support your answer with reference to the poem “Fog”
Ans. The fog is both active and passive. It comes quietly and sits still for a while, which makes it seem passive. However, it moves on when it wants, showing it is active too. The poet compares it to a cat, which can sit silently but is always aware and ready to move.
2. Why does the poet use the phrase “silent haunches”? Substantiate your answer with reference to the poem “Fog”.
Ans. The poet uses “silent haunches” to compare the fog to a cat sitting quietly before moving. A cat crouches on its haunches while observing its surroundings. Similarly, the fog rests over the harbour and city without making noise, adding to its mysterious nature.
3. Comment, in detail, on the significance of the closing phrase of the poem-“moves on”.
Ans. The phrase “moves on” shows that the fog, like a cat, does not stay in one place for too long. It comes silently, rests for a while, and then disappears. This also symbolizes the temporary nature of things in life—nothing stays forever, and everything eventually moves on.
4. Stealth is an important aspect of fog. State any two instances from the poem “Fog” that suggest the same.
Ans. Two instances that show the stealthy nature of fog are:
- “on little cat feet” – This suggests that the fog arrives softly and silently, just like a cat walking without making a sound.
- “on silent haunches” – This shows that the fog waits quietly, watching over the city before disappearing unnoticed.
5. Highlight any two characteristics of fog from its description in the poem and justify your choice of characteristics briefly.
Ans. The two characteristics are here:
- Silence – The poet describes how the fog moves and sits without making any noise, just like a cat. This makes it mysterious.
- Transience (Short-lived nature) – The phrase “moves on” shows that the fog does not stay in one place permanently. It comes and goes unexpectedly, just like many things in life.
6. Is the fog portrayed as a resident of the city or as an outsider? Support your answer with two such references from the poem “Fog”.
Ans. The fog is portrayed as an outsider because it comes, observes the city, and then leaves. It does not belong there permanently.
- “It sits looking over harbor and city” – This shows that the fog is only watching from above, not becoming a part of the city.
- “and then moves on” – This confirms that the fog does not stay but passes through like a visitor.
7. Do you agree with the poet’s comparison of fog to a cat or do you feel some other image would have done justice to the poem? Justify your answer by substantiating your claims with examples. Answer in 100 to 120 words.
OR
8. The poet beautifully compares the fog to a cat. Choose any two animals from ‘How to Tell Wild Animals’ that do not have qualities that can be drawn out to be compared with a fog. Answer in 100 to 120 words.
Ans. Yes, I agree with the poet’s comparison of fog to a cat. The fog moves silently and mysteriously, just like a cat walking softly on its paws. The phrase “on little cat feet” perfectly captures the way fog creeps in without making a sound. Similarly, a cat often sits quietly, observing its surroundings, just as the fog “sits looking over harbor and city.” Lastly, like a cat that does not stay in one place for too long, the fog “moves on.” This comparison adds depth to the poem, making it more vivid and relatable. Other comparisons, like a ghost or a misty veil, might work, but the cat metaphor best captures both the movement and the quiet nature of fog.
OR
Ans. In How to Tell Wild Animals, some animals have qualities that do not match the fog. One such animal is the Bengal Tiger. Unlike fog, which is soft and silent, a tiger is fierce and loud, roaring as it hunts. It does not move in a quiet or unnoticed manner like fog. Another unsuitable comparison would be the Hyena. The hyena is known for its noisy, laughing sound, while fog is silent and mysterious. The poet Carl Sandburg compares fog to a cat because both are quiet, observant, and move gracefully. A tiger or a hyena, being loud and aggressive, would not be suitable metaphors for fog.
