Fog is a term used to refer to a thick cloud of water that forms near the ground and in most cases, it causes obscurity. However, in Carl Sandburg’s poem, “Fog,” the author gives his readers a refreshing look at the phenomena through imagery and description that not only gives life to the weather condition but also introduces a different deeper/nebulous perspective. In Sandburg’s poem, the poet shows that just like a cat, fog arrives in our environment in an unpredictable and gradual way. The understanding from Sandburg’s poem is that while fog may be harmless like the cat, its movement is stealth, unpredictable and bold. Furthermore, the poet enhances his analogy of the cat and fog to show that just the cat takes in its new environment from a point of vantage, so does fog when it glides into its new location.
This meaning is crucial in understanding the quote by Von Clausewitz, the fog of war, which can be interpreted as the uncertainty of war. In analyzing the use of ‘fog’ by Clausewitz, readers should understand that the word is used to refer to the symbol/concept that war and its circumstances can create a cover over environment. Just as the fog covers the city to affect it in various ways, war can have great impacts that may have a fog-like impact; obscurity and danger. The connotations that help explain the fog of war include stealth and unpredictability since if enemies attack at any time to find the victims unprepared, the consequences might be unexpected. Ultimately, the statement, ‘fog of war” refers to the unpredictable nature of the war, that approaches as ‘stealthily as a cat’ and whose effects might be dominating especially when unforeseen.