> > > v ee KKeeping Quiet Fastracl« Revision > The poet is addressing his fellow brethren and appeals to their reasoning, asking them to pause for a while their mad rush for more and more. He requests them to keep quiet for a while: Master Card Not use any language to communicate Not use any form of gestures to draw attention, Share a sense of togetherness in the quietness. The moment of quietness will ive time forintrospection. Bring respite to the Flora and fauna From the human onslaught, Give time to humans to assess their damage. Provide opportunity to people to absolve themselves From the guilt of killing so many. ‘Appease their conscience by wearing clean clothes (metaphorically). Generate a feeling of brotherhood. The poet clarifies that what he desires should not be confused with cowardice, On the contrary he issues an ultimatum to warring agencies. He is not ready to exchange anything with death, >» IF people can stop being obsessed with victory, conquering more and more. > Se May be we will learn to understand ourselves better. May be we will be able to break that blanket of sadness that clouds our perspective. May be we will stop being a threat to ourselves. May be we will learn From this earth that one can start afresh—that life can spring From death, > Nature can Teach Lesson ‘The earth seems to be dead during winters. In fact it is preparing for new life which becomes apparent on the onset of spring season. Man while observing silence seems to be dead—but he Is introspecting and after he comes out of the introspection he turns out to be anew human with a totally changed approach towards life Theme > In the midst of growing materialism man has become a machine, without emotions, without feelings. In themad pursuit of his selfish goals, he is causing irreparable damage to life and environment. Pablo Neruda emphasises the need of introspection through silence. Silence, he believes, creates an exotic moment, where one gets close to oneself, where one realises the evils of wars, a Feeling or universal brotherhood prevails. The poem isan exercise For meditation in complete stillness and silence when man can break the barriers of discriminatlon, hatred, violence and create an atmosphere of togetherness and self Judgement. Literary Devices Used > alliteration: Alliteration is a figure of speech when one letters repeatedina single phrase or asentence tocreate rhythm in the poem. > Examples: > Wwe will We would Sudden strangeness His hurt hands, Wers with vyyy gy Practice Exercise “ Extract Bosed Questions y Directions: Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow: 1 For once on the face of the Earth let's not speak in any language, let's stop for one second, ‘and not move our arms so much, It would be an exotic moment without rush, without engines, we would all be together in a sudden strangeness. (a) Why does the poet forbid all of us to speak? (b) What does the phrase ‘on the face of the earth’ suggest? () The entire globe (i) On the outer surface of earth {ii) In front of the earth (iv) In the water (©) Who is the poet? (i) Kamala Das (ii) Pablo Neruda (li) John Keats (Iv) Adrienne Rich (4) ‘Not move our arms’ MEANS sss (@) State whether the given statement is True or False The poet suggests that we should not speak in any other language, but only in our native language. (f) Give an antonym of rush. Answers * (a) The poet forbids all of us to speak to observe silence to introspect. (0) ()) The entire globe ) (li) Pablo Neruda {d) cease our activity. (c) False (f) An antonym of tush’ is dawale or slowness: 2. Fishermen in the cold sea would not harm whales and the man gathering salt would look at his hurt hands. Those who prepare green wars, wars with gas, wars with fire, victory with no survivors, ‘would put on clean clothes and walk about with their brothers in the shade, doing nothing. (2) What is suggested by ‘Fishermen would not harm the whales”? (i) The fishermen would not disturb the hates in water. (W) The people will not destroy wild animals and nature, (li) The fishermen val fishing (iv) None of the above (b) What do you understand by ‘the man gathering salt would look at his hurt hands’? (©) Explain green wars’ (i) Warriors wear green clothes. (li) They hold green flags during war. (ii) Deforestation/destruction of forests and plant Ufe. (iv) AlLof the above (4) Give a synonym of gathering: (@) ‘Wars with gas' here mean: (f) State whether the given statement Is True or False. ‘The poet is addressing his enemies. stop their business of - Answers * ) (0) The people will not destroy wild animals and nature. (©) People will have time for their personal well-being. (c) il) Deforestation/destruction of forests and plant Ue. (9) A synonym of gathering’is ‘collecting’ (@) wars with chemical bombs (f) False 3, What I want should not be confused with total Inactivity. Life is what itis about; want no truck with death. (CBSE 2021 Teen-1, Modified)(a) What does the poet want? (a) True () Fishermen should stop fishing at all {@) An antonym of huge’ is tiny or minuscule! (i) People should wear clean clothes (f) The poet wants us to keep silent and stop our (ii) People should keep stil and silent for amoment activites fer soma'tma:and Inerospoct. {Wv) Allof the above nib (b) What does the poet mean by ‘Life is what it Is @ Short Answer type Questions y about’? (i) Ufe is going to war (i) Life is action (ii) Ue is keeping still (Wy) None of these (©) What does the poet mean when he says'I want QL. What will counting upto twelve and keeping still help us achieve? ‘Ans. Counting upto twelve and keeping still wall give us a : quiet moment. We can introspect ourselves In this, no truck with death’? moment. We can understand ourselves. We can plan (d) The poet refuses for better tomorrow. (e) What does ‘confused’ mean here? Q2. Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and (f) State whether the given statement is True or death? False. ‘Ans. No. the poet does not advocate total inactivity and The name of the poet is Robert Frost. death Ufe isa continuous process. But we should Find a moment of stillness to introspect ourselves, Total Answers inactivity means death. He refuses to associate with death. hould keep still and silent for a momen " (ete action, ee MMandsientforemoment q.3 What is the sadness! that the poet refers to In the (c) The poet doesn't associate keeping silent with death poerae . {G) the ea of total inactivity Ans. The ‘sadness’ that poet refers to Is of never {e) Here ‘confused’ means ‘misunderstood: understanding ourselves and of threatening ourselves re with death ihas . Q4. What symbol fram nature does the poet invoke to 4. If we were not so single-minded say that there can be life under apparent stillness? about kapping our ves moving: Ans. The poet invokes the symbol of Earth’ that looks stil See olen from outside but it has immense possiblity of life Perhaps a huge silence within it might interrupt this sadness of never understanding ourselves and of threatening ourselves with death. (2) Inwhich activity does the poet not approve to be Theataneae Q6. What does the poct predict to happen in the a t suing moments of suspended activity? Ww) In playing ‘Ans. In the moments of suspended activity, a huge silence a isacene moving might interrupt the sadness of never understanding i ourselves and of threatening, ourselves with death b) What will huge silence do in our lives accordin () 9 in cording 7. What is the theme of the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’? Q5. Why does the poet want us to Keep silence and suspend all activities for a while? ‘Ans. The poet wants us to keep silent and suspend all activities for a while so that we may introspect and understand ourselves, he poet? “yw eto pollution Ans. The theme of the poem ‘Keeping Quiet is that there (i) It-will revive our lost wealth {s the necessity of quiet introspection and creating Groitieebe 2 feelng of mutal understanding among human (Wv) All of the above pare (©) A word from the stanza which has the similar 8 What lesson can the earth teach us? bared Se, sha proafest of coreg, What according to Pablo Neruda in the poem 1a short while’. \ (2) State whether the given statement Is True or False, ee een The post omphasises the need of introspection ans, The carth can teach us that we need rest and time through silence, tothik for the bright future. ner ever(ng ot (e) Give an antonym of ‘huge’ earth seems dead but everything becomes alive as (f) What does the poet want us to do? ihe spring comes in Q9. There can be life under apparent stillness: Explain. ) and for once could do nothing, . Answers + (cose 2023) (a) (ii) In keeping our tives moving ‘Ans. The poet Pablo Neruda refuses the idea of total (b) (ii) Ie wil Kill our sadness inactivity. In his poem Keeping Quiet. he doesn't (©) interrupt associate keeping silent or stillness with death or total eeee Extract Based Ques Q1. Perhaps the Earth can teach us ERE EEE EEE EEE EIDE EI EIEI IDI I I IDI III II II III IID EID IEEE ED EO ST inactivity. He says that nature reflects lessons to teach, Us. He takes the example of the earth which seems to ‘Ans. The poet suggests us all living on the surface of the earth to keep still. to keep silent and to suspend our be dead in winter but in fact itis preparing for new Ufe which becomes apparent in spring season. Similarly, man may appear still when he is introspecting, but when he comes out of the introspection, he has a totally changed approach towards life Long Answer type Question What does the poet suggest us through the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’? Or What do you think the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ is about? activities. It will be an exotic moment for us all to feel together—oneness in a sudden surprise. This act will provide some moments to introspect quietty. ft will help us in understanding ourselves. It will give us ‘mutual Understanding. We feel sad because we have never understoad ourselves and we have threatened. ourselves with death. The earth can teach us that everything seems dead in winter but as the spring comesin, everything becomes alive, This period of winter gives rest and leisure to the earth. Hence, we all need rest and leisure for once to introspect quieth x Chapter Test n as when everything seems dead and later proves to be alive. Now I'l count up to twelve and you keep quiet and | will go. (a) What lesson can Earth teach us? {b) During what time does everything seem dead on earth? (i) Monsoon (i) Summer (i) winter (iv) Spring (c) When does everything prove to be alive on earth? (i) Summer (i) Winter (iil) Spring (iv) Autumn (4) The poet asks us to . (e) State whether the given statement is True or False. The poet combines stillness with total inactivity. (f) Give a synonym of ‘seem: Short Answer Type Question Q2. What can we learn from earth? Long Answer Type Question Q3. Give a brief description of the poem Keeping Quiet: .