CBSE Class 10/Overview
Curriculum 2026–27
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EnglishCh-26 12 min comprehensive revision
NCERT Class 10 English — Chapter 26

Fog

Carl Sandburg's celebrated 6-line Imagist masterpiece comparing the silent arrival, quiet perching, and stealthy departure of fog over the harbour and city to the delicate movements of a cat.

Quick Key Takeaways:
Extended Metaphor: The entire poem is built on an extended metaphor comparing fog directly to a silent, agile cat.
Silent Arrival: The mist rolls in soundlessly on 'little cat feet' without disturbance, commotion, or warning.
Silent Observation: Sits looking over the harbour docks and metropolitan city on silent haunches before drifting away.
Quintessential Imagism: Free verse structure capturing a transient natural phenomenon with pure, unadorned visual metaphor.
Jump to Concept:1. 1. Line-by-Line Imagist Analysis: The Arrival, Perching & Departure2. 2. Literary Devices & Imagist Technique3. 3. High-Yield Solved Board Examination Questions (3-Mark & 6-Mark)4. 4. Reference-to-Context (RTC) Solved Extract Drill5. 5. CBSE Examiner Marking Scheme, High-Scoring Vocabulary & Pitfalls
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1. Line-by-Line Imagist Analysis: The Arrival, Perching & Departure

Stanza Explanation & Themes

Stanza-by-stanza explanation, central themes, and poetic symbolism of Fog.

• Complete 6-Line Text & Thematic Progression
•
Lines 1–2 (The Silent Arrival): 'The fog comes / on little cat feet.' →\rightarrow Captures the subtle, imperceptible creeping arrival of dense sea mist engulfing the shoreline with the soft, padded stealth of a feline.
•
Lines 3–5 (The Silent Observation): 'It sits looking / over harbour and city / on silent haunches' →\rightarrow Visualizes the dense layer of fog settling motionless over the shipping docks and city skyscrapers, crouching quietly like a cat on its folded thighs ('haunches'), observing the world with calm detachment.
•
Line 6 (The Silent Departure): 'and then moves on.' →\rightarrow Just as suddenly and noiselessly as it arrived, the fog evaporates or drifts away without leaving a trace.
📊 Fog: Extended Metaphor FlowVisual Model
Fog: Extended Metaphor & Subtle Movement
Silent Arrival & Cat Metaphor
•Fog creeping in silently 'on little cat feet'
•Mysterious, unobtrusive presence over harbor and city
•Soft, deliberate, noiseless landing
Quiet Contemplation & Dissipation
•Sitting on silent haunches surveying the docks
•Observing the urban landscape without judgment
•Quietly moving on without leaving a trace
Core Concept: Carl Sandburg's haiku-like minimalism capturing nature's fleeting moments

Visual schematic illustrating the three feline stages of fog: silent arrival on padded feet, motionless perching on haunches, and transient departure.

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2. Literary Devices & Imagist Technique

Poetic Devices & Stanza Analysis

Poetic devices, rhyme schemes, imagery, and literary analysis of Fog.

• Poetic Devices Master Matrix
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Extended Metaphor / Personification: The entire natural phenomenon of fog is personified and compared to a cat (cat feet, sitting on haunches, looking, moving on).
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Free Verse: Composed without regular meter, rhyme scheme, or strict syllabic counts, mimicking the formless, fluid nature of fog.
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Economy of Expression: Uses merely 6 lines and 24 words to evoke a complete sensory, visual, and kinetic experience.
•
Enjambment: Smooth sentence flow across lines without internal punctuation.
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3. High-Yield Solved Board Examination Questions (3-Mark & 6-Mark)

Topper Solved Q&A

Important past CBSE board questions solved according to official marking criteria.

• 3-Mark Short Answer Question: How does Carl Sandburg describe the arrival, sitting, and departure of the fog?
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Topper Model Answer (30–40 Words): Sandburg portrays the fog arriving noiselessly like a cat walking on soft padded paws ('little cat feet'). It settles quietly over the harbour docks and urban skyline, perching on its folded haunches in silent contemplation, and then vanishes just as stealthily without making a single sound.
• 6-Mark Long Answer / Analytical Question: What makes 'Fog' a quintessential example of Imagist poetry? Explain its metaphorical craftsmanship.
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Direct Treatment of the Subject: Presents a single clear image without verbose philosophical moralizing or sentimental ornamentation.
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Visual Exactness: The posture of a crouching cat perfectly mirrors the dense, low-hanging mist engulfing city docks.
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Rhythmic Naturalness: The free verse cadence mirrors the effortless, floating movement of maritime fog.
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Linguistic Economy: Demonstrates that true poetic brilliance lies in evoking vast visual landscapes with absolute brevity and precision.
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4. Reference-to-Context (RTC) Solved Extract Drill

CBSE Board RTC Mastery

Standard CBSE Reference-to-Context extract with multi-part analytical questions and answers.

• Prescribed NCERT Extract: Fog
The fog comes / on little cat feet. / It sits looking / over harbour and city / on silent haunches / and then moves on.
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Q1: What does the fog look over? →\rightarrow Over the harbour docks and the entire city.
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Q2: What is the poetic device in 'little cat feet'? →\rightarrow Metaphor / Personification.
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Q3: What characteristic posture of a cat is mentioned? →\rightarrow Sitting on its folded 'haunches'.
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Q4: Name the poet and poetic movement. →\rightarrow Carl Sandburg, Imagist poetry.
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5. CBSE Examiner Marking Scheme, High-Scoring Vocabulary & Pitfalls

Exam Tips & Marking Rubric

Examiner scoring keys, advanced vocabulary enhancers, and critical pitfall avoidance.

• High-Scoring Vocabulary Bank & Expressive Phrasing
•
Haunches: The buttocks and thighs together (Sitting on silent haunches).
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Harbour: A place on the coast where vessels find shelter (Looking over harbour and city).
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Imagism: A 20th-century movement in poetry that favoured precision of imagery and clear, sharp language (Sandburg's Imagist masterpiece).
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Imperceptible: So slight, gradual, or subtle as not to be perceived (The imperceptible arrival of mist).
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Ephemeral: Lasting for a very short time; transient (The ephemeral nature of morning fog).
• CBSE Topper Answer Presentation & Common Deduction Traps
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Metaphor: Always explain the three stages: (1) Arriving on cat feet; (2) Sitting on haunches; (3) Moving on.
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Key Phrases: 'extended zoomorphic metaphor', 'silent contemplation', 'imagist precision', 'transient evaporation'.
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Common Pitfall: Do not write long speculative stories; keep answers focused on the exact 6-line imagery.
Authentic Board Question (3 Marks)Topic: Fog Poetic Analysis & Central Stanza Theme
How does the poet use imagery, poetic devices, and tone in "Fog" to develop the central theme? Explain with close reference to the poem.

Official CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Breakdown:

Step 1: Stanza Context & Imagery: Identify the setting, core imagery, and emotional atmosphere established by the poet in the poem.
1 Mark
Step 2: Poetic Devices & Symbolism: Accurately name and analyze key literary devices (metaphor, personification, alliteration, irony, rhyme scheme, or symbolism).
1 Mark
Step 3: Universal Message / Thematic Conclusion: Connect the imagery to the poet's overarching philosophical lesson on human nature or life.
1 Mark
Model Student Answer (Target: Full 3/3 Marks):
To score full 3 marks on "Fog" in CBSE English Literature:

1. Core Context & Setting: Introduce the situation portrayed by the poet and the atmospheric imagery evoked in the verses.
2. Analysis of Poetic Craft: Identify and cite the specific poetic devices (e.g., metaphor, enjambment, irony, symbolism) that heighten the emotional intensity.
3. Thematic Significance: Conclude by highlighting the underlying moral or universal message regarding human resilience, nature, or life values.
Examiner Mark Deduction Traps:
•Always mention the precise poetic devices (e.g. "metaphor", "symbolism", "enjambment") rather than vague descriptions.
•Quote or refer directly to specific phrases or stanza lines from the poem in quotation marks.

High-Frequency Conceptual Doubts & FAQs

Curated answers to the most common questions asked by Class 10 students.
Sandburg compares the arrival, presence, and departure of Fog to a silent cat moving stealthily on little cat feet.

Related YouTube Videos & Masterclasses

5 Verified Class 10 Videos

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Fog poem class 10 in hindi | Full ( हिंदी में ) Explained | fog poem class 10 in english animation

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