Class 10 English - PUNJAB

Poetry: Fog

The poem 'Fog' by Carl Sandburg is a short yet vivid piece prescribed in the Class 10 Punjab (PSEB) English curriculum. It beautifully describes the arrival, presence, and silent departure of fog through an extended metaphor, comparing it to a cat. For PSEB board exams, this chapter is crucial for testing students' understanding of poetic devices, particularly metaphor and imagery. Examiners frequently ask reference-to-context questions and short answer questions regarding the cat metaphor and the significance of the fog's behavior.

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Key Concepts

Extended Metaphor

A comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences or lines. In this poem, the entire fog is metaphorically compared to a cat.

Imagery

Language that appeals to the senses. The poet creates visual and auditory imagery by describing how the fog comes silently 'on little cat feet' and looks over the harbor and city.

Free Verse

A literary device defined as poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter. 'Fog' is written in free verse, giving it a natural, conversational flow.

Personification

Giving human or animal qualities to non-human things. The fog is given the quality of a cat sitting on its haunches and silently moving away.

Symbolism of the Cat

The cat symbolizes stealth, silence, and unpredictability, mirroring how fog sneaks into a city without making a sound and leaves just as mysteriously.

Important Formulas

Definition: Metaphor - A direct comparison between two things without using 'like' or 'as'.
Definition: Free Verse - Poetry without rhyme scheme or fixed rhythm.
Definition: Harbor - A place on the coast where ships may moor.
Definition: Haunches - The back legs and buttocks of an animal.

Board Exam Info

In the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) Class 10 English exams, this chapter typically carries around 2 to 4 marks. Common question types include short answer questions about the central idea, reference-to-context (stanza comprehension), and questions identifying poetic devices like metaphors used in the poem.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Carl Sandburg compare the fog to?

The poet compares the fog to a cat, noting how it arrives silently, sits looking over the harbor and city, and then moves on.

Why is the fog said to arrive on 'little cat feet'?

This phrase highlights the silent, stealthy, and unannounced arrival of fog, just like a cat walking softly on its paws.

What is the rhyme scheme of the poem 'Fog'?

The poem is written in free verse, meaning it does not have a set rhyme scheme or regular meter.

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