What does Sandburg think the fog is like? How does the fog come? What does 'it' in the third line refer to? 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.
Sandburg thinks the fog is like a cat.
The fog comes silently on little cat feet.
The word 'it' in the third line refers to the fog.
No, the poet does not actually say that the fog is like a cat; he uses a metaphor instead of a direct comparison. The three things that tell us the fog is like a cat are: it comes on little cat feet, it sits looking over the harbour and city, and it sits on silent haunches.
Explanation
The poem uses a metaphor to compare the fog to a cat. The poet does not use the words 'like' or 'as', so it is not a simile; instead, he directly transfers the qualities of a cat to the fog. The fog arrives softly like a cat's paws, sits observing the city like a cat perching on its haunches, and then moves away.