Question

the fog comes
on little cat feet.
it sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
by carl sandburg

life
life is but a toy that swings on a bright gold chain
ticking for a little while
to amuse a fascinated infant,
until the keeper, a very old man,
becomes tired of the game
and lets the watch run down.
by naomi long madgett

choose the statement that best compares the meaning of these poems.

1. people are like infants amused by toys.
2. life is short, so live while you can.
3. time is only a shiny distraction.
4. things of this world are fleeting.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the poems:

• Carl Sandburg's "Fog" uses a cat metaphor for fog's movement.
• Naomi Long Madgett's "Life" compares life to a toy swinging, an infant's amusement, and a watch running down, emphasizing life's fleeting and playful (then tired) nature.

Now, match statements to poem meanings:

1. "People are like infants amused by toys." — Madgett's poem has "To amuse a fascinated infant" and life as a toy, so this connects to her poem's theme of people (life) amusing like infants with toys.
2. "Life is short, so live while you can." — Neither poem directly states this; Madgett's is about life's fleeting nature (watch running down) but not an exhortation to live now.
3. "Time is only a shiny distraction." — No poem supports this.
4. "Things of this world are fleeting." — Madgett's "watch run down" implies time/life is fleeting, but the first statement better matches the infant - toy comparison in her poem.

So the best match is statement 1.

Answer:

1. People are like infants amused by toys.