XII ENGLISH
KEEPING QUIET: BY PABLO NERUDA
First stanza
Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep s ll.
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.
Explana on of the Poem:
1. The poet asks everyone to count up to twelve in their mind. The number twelve represents the hours of the day or the
months of a year.
2. He wants all of us to be calm and s ll.
3. People across the na ons have to unite together, so, they shall not speak their own languages, rather they all shall keep
quiet and speak the language of silence.
4. This will bring unity among all the humans on the face of the Earth.
5. For at least one moment, no one shall move his arms either to signal, or to fight, or argue with each other.
POEM Second stanza
It would be an exo c moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.
Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would look at his hurt hands.
Explana on of the poem passage above:
When everything will come to a stands ll, it will be a rare situa on.
1. No one will be in a rush, there will be no engines running.
2. Everyone will be calm and quiet, united with each other in a strange atmosphere.
3. It will be strange because it has never happened earlier.
4. No person would be harming any other living being either for food or to earn his livelihood.
5. All the people who work endlessly will get some me to look at their injuries and the damage they have caused to their
body.
POEM Third stanza
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.
What I want should not be confused
with total inac vity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.
Explana on of the poem passage above:
1. The people who exploit the green wealth of nature by deforesta on, or mining, or fishing in the deep seas and the
soldiers who use weapons to kill fellow human beings need some me to introspect into the consequences of their
ac ons. They are merely doing their job or following orders.
2. He wants them to put on ‘new clothes’ i.e. to adopt a new approach towards life and to realize that killing so many
people is not a victory.
3. He wants all of us to be united as one, consider our enemy to be our brother.
4. He is promo ng brotherhood, peace and unity.
5. He does not want us to stop our works but to take some me and analyze the results of our deeds.
POEM Fourth stanza
If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.
Explana on of the poem passage above:
1. All human beings work endlessly with the aim of comple ng all their tasks.
2. They are driven by the target of survival and the threat of death.
3. So they are in a mad rush to accomplish all their works.
4. He says that perhaps, if they pause for a while, they can appreciate their achievements and their lives would become
happier.
5. He suggests that by keeping quiet, we will be able to understand the true purpose of our life.
POEM Fi h stanza
Perhaps the Earth can teach us
as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive.
Now I’ll count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.
Explana on of the poem passage above:
The poet suggests us to take a teaching from nature.
1. As the Earth undergoes changes, in winter, everything freezes, becomes lifeless but a er some me, the season changes
again, and everything comes back to life.
2. Similarly, taking a pause and introspec ng into our lives will give it a new meaning. We will be able to understand the
purpose of our life. It will be like a re birth of the soul.
3. The poet has conveyed to all the people the purpose of his message and so, he asks them once again to take a pause,
count ll twelve and walks out of the scene, keeping the scene open for all the people on the Earth to experience this for
mes to come.
