Keeping Quiet
2 -Pablo Neruda
ABOUT THE POET
s Nerudawas tlhe pen name of Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Baoalto (1904-1973), He was a farrs hiBn re
Nersa
d dinlomat. His poems often focused on love, nature, hurman ermotions and social issues, in "Keepirng Qu,
ste s
oes simple words and deep thoughts to make people think aboUt peace and harrnony wth nature. His wtinE
therSelVes hetter.
aaim and thoughttul, encouraging readers to pause and understand
EXPLANATION OF THE POEM
Stanza Explanation
ra refer to te
1. "Now we will count to twelve and we will The poet asks everyons to Ount to twetve and stay silent, The rumter twete
allkeep still.." twelve hours of a clock or the twelve rnonthis of a year, syrnbolising a conngiete cyoie f time.
Thepoet wants people to take a break frorn their busy Ives and ttink about their actors. t is
not about doing nothing but about reflection.
2 For once on the face of the Earth The poet asks people across the world to stop speaking arvd rnoing tor a short while. By
let's not speak in any language, avoiding words and actions, people can experience tue peace. Drferences in language ofen
let's stop for one second, divide people, but silence can bring unity. The poet suggests that a rrornert of stiliness can
and not move our arms so much, lead to understanding and harrmony.
3. It would be an exotic moment The poet imagjnes a world where people stop rushing and machines stop running in modem
without rush, without engines, life, people are always in a hurry, and machines are always working, If everythng stopped for
we would all be together a while, people would feel united and experience a rare sense of calmness.
in a sudden strangeness.
would be safe. If a salt worker
4 Fishermen in the cold sea The poet gives twO examples. If fishermen stop fishing, whales
focuSed on work that they forget
would not harm whales pauses, he would notíce his injured hands. People are so
thernsetves. A morment of silence would heip them
and the man gathering salt about the harm they cause to nature and
empathy.
would look at his hurt hands. realise the consequences of their actions and develop
environrnent ("green wars") and wars
foughnt wIth
5. Those who prepare green wars, Ihe poet refers to wars that harm the wins. He
survivors" means wars where no one truly
wars with gas, wars with fire, poisonoUs gas and fire. "Victory with no symbolise a fresh
"Clean clothes"
imagines people leaving behind war and living peacefully.
victory with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes and walk start and a change in míndset.
about with
their brothers in the shade, doing
nothing. want no truck wtn ceaui
he is not asking for complete inactivity. " awareness.
The poet clarifies that fully but with
6. What I want should not be confused lifelessness. He wants people to live
supporting meaninguiy.
with total inactivity. means he is not pause, reflect and Ive
live mechanically but should
People should not
Life is what it is about;
Iwant no truck with death.
223
People are always focused on Working and moving forward. They live without truly knoing
break the sadness that
they might
single-minded that if they pause,
worries such as the constant fear of
Comes from
F If we were not so The poet says
7 themselves. unnecessary
and
death.
about keeping our lives moving,
self-understanding
lack of
nothing,
and for once could do
perhaps a huge silence
sadness
might interrupt this
understanding ourselves
of never with
threatening ourselves plants appear dead but Corme
and of
death, life to
nature. In winter,
back to ife
hunan
can also take a break and return
The poet
conpares
nature renews
itself, people with fres
teach us
Perhaps the Earth con
reneWal.
spring, Just like growth and
8 dead in rest can lead to
seems and
as when everything
Silence
enerey. keeping quiet. Then, he leaves, allowing
to be alive.
of counting to twelve and
and later proves repeats the idea not force his ídeas on others.
He sirnoly
The poet The poet does
to twelve on his message. themselves. He encourages everyone to take
Now I'lI count up
reflect
the readers to people think
about it
quiet and I will go. message and lets of life on their
own
and you keep gives a discover the
meaning
a moment of silence and
OF THE POEM
KEY MESSAGE
self-reflection. The poet asks people to
pause
of silence, peace and stillness can heln
importance moment of
Quiet" teaches the through life. He
believes that a
The poem"Keeping instead of always rushing environmental destruction u
and thinkabout their actions against war, violence and
Neruda also speaks peaceful place.
understand themselves and care for others. world will be a better and more
nature, the
stopfighting and harming
Suggests that if people
Questions
Answers to NCERT
Think it out
achieve? [CBSE (F) 2008-09, CBSE Delhi 2014-15]
twelve and keeping still help us
A. What will counting upto suggested in "Keeping Quiet", will help us achieve a
moment of
keeping still, as impact on others and the world.
Ans. Counting up to twelve and allows us to think about our actions and their
calm and reflection. This pause caring way of living.
understand ourselves and others better, leading to a more thoughtful and
It's a chance to Why/Why not?
poet, Pablo Neruda advocates total inactivity and death? [CBSE Delhi 2010-1]
2. Doyou think the
Neruda makes it clear
not advocate total inactivity and death. In"Keeping Quiet", Pablo
Ans. No, the poet does
reflection, not about doing nothing or being
close to death. He
quiet and stillis about thoughtful
that being
pause is a chance to understand life better and
to appreciate it more, not to give up on .
suggests that this [CBSE (AI) 2011|
poet refers to in the poem?
3. What is the 'sadness' that the
the th the
sadness of not understanding ourselves and taking
Ans. The 'sadness' that Neruda refers to in the poem is the not
being busy and
of harming ourselves and others. It's the sadness that comes from constantly
and reflection can lead to harm and unhappness
time to reflect on our lives. This lack of understanding
life under apparent Stunnes talks
A What symbol from nature does the poet invoke tosay that there can be stillness.
He
Ans. The poet invokes the symbol of the Earth to show that there can be life under apparent
spring
new life in
about how the Earth, even when it seems lifeless, like in winter, is actually preparing for
This symbolises that even in quict and stillmoments, growth and renewalcan happen.
