William Henry Davies (1871-1940) was a Welsh poet and writer. His poems are realistic and often deal with the themes of life's hardships. They also feature characters who are based on some of the tramps and travellers Davies had met. He was a popular poet and wrote in a simple and direct style.
I saw the fog grow thick,
Which soon made blind my ken;
It made tall men of boys,
And giants of tall men.
It clutched my throat, I coughed;
Nothing was in my head
Except two heavy eyes
Like balls of burning lead.
And when it grew so black
That I could know no place,
I lost all judgement then,
Of distance and of space.
The street lamps,and the lights
Upon the halted cars,
Could either be on earth
Or be the heavenly stars.
A man passed by me close,
I asked my way,he said,
"Come, follow me, my friend"----
I followed where he led.
He rapped the stones in front,
"Trust me," he said, "and come";
I followed like a child----
A blind man led me home.
How has the speaker described the fog?
What did the fog do to the speaker's throat and eyes? What was he unable to do because of it?
Why did the speaker lose all judgement? In what ways did he misjudge distance and space?
What did the passer-by say to the speaker?
Where did the passer-by lead the speaker? How did he do so?
What was unusual about this passer-by?