Fog: It's more than just a Carl Sandburg poem

The eight hours that lay between us and home were in jeopardy of constant reset due to thick fog. Our actual departure time was pushed forward as quickly as a clocks hour hand gets pushed back during the end of daylight savings time. And, of course, that mid-autumn tradition had just taken place the day before. The year's longest weekend was about to get, unwantedly, a bit longer. The viscosity of the fog reminded me of a poem that a long-ago teacher had introduced. It was penned by Carl Sandburg, and to this teacher it was a stunning masterpiece. It was called Fog, and it goes like this: The fog comeson little cat feet.It sits lookingover harbor and cityon silent haunchesand then moves on Our trip was to visit with our son, who coincidently has a cat. His cat does have little feet … little, light gray feet. It could be said that it participates in what could be called some quiet haunching, but this was all for show. The purpose of such stealthful activities is to lull its victims into a false sense of security before it attacks. Such is the typical life of a kitten. Fog is not a kitten … and frankly, Sandburg's tiny attempt at describing it not only falls extraordinarily short but confuses the entire nature of fog. But that's just what I say. I decided to find out what others think. english-studies.net "… an evocative poem that captures the quiet, mysterious arrival of fog. With vivid imagery and a distinctive free verse style, (it) likens the fog to a cat, leaving the reader with a sense of wonder at the natural world's subtle power and beauty." Does Sandburg's poem leave you with a sense of wonder about the natural world? answerpoint.blog "… despite comprising just 23 words, this poem consistently leaves a lasting and remarkably vivid impression. How does such a famously short poem manage to create such profound and enduring imagery, capturing the ephemeral nature of fog with such striking clarity?" Well, it's 21 words, so … www.studocu.com "… he says that the fog has covered the whole of the city and harbour." No, he says it is looking over the city and harbor. Besides, this is from a student who doesn't know how to spell harbor correctly! Someone named Chethanah Harris "… compares fog to a cat? Something no one would've thought of." And, I suspect that no one would have thought of fog as a blanket either. The intent here is not to bash Sandburg. I mean, he won three Pulitzers, but to take the simple act of observation and refine it down to a level of understanding … and fog is a great example to do this. For instance, while the onset of fog may very well be silent, it doesn't "arrive." Plain and simple, it forms. Here's a bit of the science: Atmospheric air has a great ability to hold water, but not liquid water. It holds the gaseous form of water called water vapor. Water vapor is invisible, but it can be felt. Just think of a humid summer day. Plain and simple, hot air can hold more water vapor than cold air. As air cools, such as it often does after sunset, its ability to hold water vapor decreases. At some point -- a point actually called the dew point -- cooling air can no longer hold any more water vapor. The water vapor molecules are forced to enter into their liquid form called water droplets and cling to anything they can. In most cases, this will include objects close to the ground such as leaves and windshields and patio chairs. This is called dew. When there is an excess of water vapor in the cooling air, just forming dew on solid, land-based objects is not enough. The water droplets will start to condense on tiny particulates in the air itself. When enough droplets become visible, a low-lying cloud starts to form. This is fog. If the conditions contain a massive amount a condensing water vapor and very little wind, then the fog can become quite thick and visibility quite low. This can happen surprisingly quickly, and unlike Sandburg's poem, where once there was perfectly clear air, you find yourself suddenly surrounded by fog. Fog events often happen in the morning when air sinks below the dew point. As the sun comes up, and the air starts to warm above the dew point, the air now finds itself able to again hold water vapor. The water droplets, both on objects and suspended in the air, start to evaporate back into water vapor and the fog dissipates. It literally vanishes into thin air. Again, unlike Sandburg's poem, it does not move on, it disappears. We can all agree that kittens are cute. Can we agree that fog is not? Sure, a light fog backlit by sunrise along a shoreline might create a memorable scene, but thick fog often brings things to a standstill, and often does so in enormously tragic fashion. On the morning of Dec. 11, 1990, a stretch of I-75 between Knoxville and Chattanooga, Tennessee, became fog-bound. Within minutes, the dense fog caused a chain reaction of 99 vehicle crashes resulting in 42 injuries and 12 deaths. That's no kitten scenario. Carl Sandburg will always be a literary giant. Still, his Fog poem falls short, at least for me. So, to be fair, I decided to put pen to paper (electronic pencil to iPad actually) and came up with my own Fog poem. What do you think? The Nature of Fog Fog is the sentencePaid by greedy air.Sinking, cold, omnipresent,Often insidious,It dims light,Washes colors,And instigates second guesses.It grips and locks hopeJust beyond reach and view.Until…From aboveA glow brings hope… and convincing warmth.The unwitting air becomes re-employed… and the white haze lightensBeing clearly absorbed.The air, however, remains unregrettable.Time and circumstances will, unfortunatelyShow that it failed to learn its lesson.