CBSE Class 10 English Chapter 6 Fog Notes: Summary, Q&A and MCQs 2026-27 | Nextoper Notes

These Class 10 English Chapter 6 Fog notes explain the poem in plain words. You get the summary, devices, NCERT answers, and 10 MCQs on one page. Read once, then test yourself with the MCQs.

What is Class 10 English Chapter 6 Fog about?

Fog is a six-line poem by Carl Sandburg in NCERT First Flight, Class 10 English. It describes fog as a cat that arrives quietly, sits above a city, and leaves. Sandburg never says the fog is a cat; he lets you notice it.

NCERT is the National Council of Educational Research and Training. It publishes the textbooks that CBSE schools follow. CBSE is the Central Board of Secondary Education.

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In the 2026-27 book, Fog is part of Chapter 6. Older editions call it Poem 8 or Poem 9. If your book differs, trust its contents page.

What is the summary of the poem Fog by Carl Sandburg?

The poem Fog by Carl Sandburg shows fog moving like a cat. It arrives silently, sits above the harbour and city as if watching, then walks away. The poem has no people and no sound, so only a calm, quiet picture remains.

Sandburg opens with the arrival. He says the fog comes “on little cat feet.” Cats walk softly, so you never hear them coming.

Next, the fog sits. It looks over the harbour and the city. A cat sits the same way: still, calm, and watchful.

Last, the fog moves on. Nothing is broken and nothing is said. The place simply returns to normal.

Fog is also real: tiny water droplets hang in the air near the ground. Sandburg skips the science. He gives you a feeling instead.

The whole poem is one idea stretched across six lines. That idea is quiet change. You will meet it again in the themes section.

What does each line of Fog mean?

Each part of Fog adds one cat-like action, so read it in three steps. Lines 1–2 show the arrival, lines 3–5 the sitting, and line 6 the exit. The table below explains every line and why it matters for your answers.

Look at the grammar. The poem has only two sentences. The first fills lines 1 and 2.

The second sentence runs across lines 3 to 6 without a stop. One way to read this is that the lines drift on, just like fog.

Who and what appear in the poem Fog?

Fog has no human characters, but it has four key figures you should remember. They are the fog, the cat, the harbour and city, and Carl Sandburg. Only the fog acts, while the cat appears only as a comparison in the poem.

Carl Sandburg is an American poet who lived from 1878 to 1967. He is known for free-verse poems in the plain speech of ordinary people. He won Pulitzer Prizes for both poetry and history (Poets.org).

The poem has no “I.” No speaker steps forward to explain the scene. You simply watch the fog the way the poet did.

What are the themes of the poem Fog?

The main themes of Fog are quiet change, short visits, close observation, and imagination. Something can arrive without any noise and still change the feel of a whole place. Sandburg uses fog to ask you to look closely at ordinary sights.

Many readers connect the poem to moods or events that pass quietly. That is an interpretation. The text itself only describes fog.

The tone is calm, quiet, and watchful. Soft words like “little” and “silent” build that mood.

Which poetic devices are used in Fog?

Fog uses metaphor, personification, imagery, enjambment, free verse, and a touch of sibilance. The main device is metaphor, because the fog has cat feet and haunches. Personification adds actions like sitting and looking, while the other devices shape the quiet mood.

Simile or metaphor? The poem never uses “like” or “as.” So “on little cat feet” is a metaphor, not a simile.

The cat idea runs through lines 2, 3, and 5. That is why many teachers call it an extended metaphor.

What do the difficult words in Fog mean?

Fog has few hard words, but you should know haunches, harbour, metaphor, and free verse. NCERT explains haunches as sitting with knees bent, which is how a cat crouches. The table gives each meaning in simple words and shows where the word appears.

What are the NCERT question answers for Fog?

NCERT’s “Thinking about the Poem” has three questions on Fog, with seven parts in all. Question 1 covers the cat, question 2 covers metaphors, and question 3 covers rhyme. Our model answers below use our own words, so reword them before you write.

Question 1 (i)

What does Sandburg think the fog is like?

Answer: Sandburg thinks the fog is like a cat. It arrives softly, sits still, and then walks away, just as a cat does.

Question 1 (ii)

How does the fog come?

Answer: The fog comes quietly and gently, “on little cat feet.” You do not hear it or notice the moment it arrives.

Question 1 (iii)

What does ‘it’ in the third line refer to?

Answer: The word “it” refers to the fog. The third line says “It sits looking,” so the fog is the one that sits.

Question 1 (iv)

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: No, the poet never writes “like a cat.” He only gives the fog the features of a cat. Three clues show the likeness:

1. The fog comes “on little cat feet,” so it moves without sound.
2. It “sits looking” over the harbour and city, so it is still and watchful.
3. It rests “on silent haunches,” which is how a cat crouches.

Question 2 (i)

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: Many animal answers are fine. Pick one, then explain the likeness. Here are sample answers:

Question 2 (ii)

Think about a storm. Try to visualise the force of the storm, hear the sound of the storm, feel the power of the storm and the sudden calm that happens afterwards. Write a poem about the storm comparing it with an animal.

Answer: This is a writing task, so your own poem is best. Here is a model poem to guide you:

The storm is a tiger.
It springs from the clouds.
Its roar shakes the windows,
its claws rake the fields.
Then, tired and soft,
it curls up and sleeps.
The sky is a quiet meadow again.

Notice the plan. The first four lines show force and sound. The last three show the sudden calm.

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, Fog has no rhyme scheme. No two lines rhyme, and the rhythm is not fixed. So the poem is free verse, and its loose lines suit the drifting fog.

You can read the original exercise in the NCERT textbook section. Always check the question wording in your own book.

Which MCQs can you practise from the poem Fog?

Here are ten MCQs on Fog, each with an answer and a one-line reason. They cover the poet, the metaphor, the glossary, the form, and the devices. Try each one first, then read the answer; all ten are our own practice questions.

How can you revise Fog in five minutes?

Revise Fog in five minutes with the CAT trick: Comes, Appears to watch, Takes leave. Then recall the poet, the book, the metaphor, and the free verse form. Finish by saying the poem’s main idea aloud in one sentence, using your own words.

Night-before routine:

1. Read the poem aloud twice.
2. Cover the line-by-line table and recall each meaning.
3. Attempt the ten MCQs without looking at answers.
4. Write one 60-word summary from memory.

What practice questions should you try for Fog?

Try short questions on single lines, one extract-based set, and one long answer. Write each answer yourself first, then compare it with the hint given below it. These are original practice questions written by Nextoper.in, not copied from past CBSE papers.

Short questions

1. Why does Sandburg write “little” before “cat feet”? Hint: it makes the fog gentle and light.
2. Explain “on silent haunches” in your own words. Hint: the fog rests like a crouching cat, without a sound.
3. Is “on little cat feet” a simile or a metaphor? Give a reason. Hint: no “like” or “as” appears, so it is a metaphor.
4. What picture does line 4 create? Hint: fog spreads over both sea and land.

Extract-based set

Read these lines: “It sits looking / over harbour and city / on silent haunches / and then moves on.”

1. What does “it” refer to?
2. Name the device in “It sits looking.”
3. What does “haunches” mean?
4. What does the last line suggest about the fog?

Hints: the fog; personification; sitting with knees bent; it stays only briefly and leaves quietly.

Long answer

Explain how Sandburg turns fog into a cat. Write about 100 words.

Hint: use the CAT trick. Quote “little cat feet,” “sits looking,” and “silent haunches.” End by naming the metaphor.

What mistakes do students make while answering Fog questions?

Students often call the metaphor a simile, or they say that the poem rhymes. Some also treat the fog as a real cat, and each slip costs marks. The table shows each wrong sentence, the reason, and a better version to write.

What is a short answer for the poem Fog?

A short answer states the poet, the comparison, and the idea in about 60 words. Use it when a question asks you to summarise or describe Fog briefly. Read the block below aloud, then reword it so that it fits each question.

What do students ask most about the poem Fog?

Students often ask why fog is a cat and what the central idea is. They also ask whether it rhymes, what haunches means, and which devices appear. Each answer below stands alone, so you can note it and reword it for exams.

Why is the fog compared to a cat in the poem Fog?

Sandburg compares fog to a cat because both move silently over the places they visit. A cat walks softly, sits still, watches, and leaves, and so does the fog. The comparison turns plain weather into a gentle creature that you can easily picture.

What is the central idea of the poem Fog?

The central idea of Fog is that fog arrives quietly, stays briefly, and leaves. Sandburg uses a cat to make that silent, gentle movement easy to see. Many readers link it to quiet changes in life, but the poem only describes fog.

Is there a rhyme scheme in the poem Fog?

No, the poem Fog has no rhyme scheme, and none of its six lines rhyme. Its rhythm is not fixed either, so the poem follows no regular pattern at all. NCERT calls such poetry free verse, and its loose lines suit drifting fog.

What does haunches mean in the poem Fog?

Haunches are the back legs and hips of an animal, as in a sitting cat. NCERT explains on haunches as sitting with knees bent, in simple words. The fog sits on silent haunches like a crouching cat, adding a second cat image.

Which poetic devices are used in the poem Fog?

Fog uses metaphor, personification, imagery, enjambment, and free verse, all in just six lines. The main device is metaphor, because the fog is given cat feet and haunches. Personification gives the fog actions like sitting, and enjambment keeps one sentence flowing.

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Where does Fog fit in your revision?

These Class 10 English Chapter 6 Fog notes cover the idea, devices, answers, and practice. Keep the CAT trick in mind and write every answer in your own words. Then move on to the next poem in First Flight, and keep revising daily.

Which notes should you read next?

Read these related notes to keep your Class 10 English First Flight revision in order. Before Fog comes The Trees, and after it comes The Tale of Custard the Dragon. The hub page lists every First Flight chapter in one place.

• Previous: The Trees poem notes, Class 10 English
• Previous: Amanda poem notes, Class 10 English
• Hub: Class 10 English First Flight notes, all chapters

Last updated: 20 October 2026 | Session 2026-27