Poem-2 Keeping Quiet

- Pablo Neruda
VALUE POINTS:

1. The poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ highlights the importance of quiet introspection and mutual

understanding across humanity.

2. The poet asks the readers to keep quiet for a count of twelve.

3. He asks them to stop any barrier (Like language, war, exploitation etc) which creates a divide.

4. This silence will be free from the disturbing sounds of engines and rush of people due to their

materialistic attitude.

5. The importance of silence and self-introspection can transform not only the life of an individual but

also the face of the earth.

6. They will lead a hatred-free and peaceful life, living in harmony, bringing a halt to their destructive

activities.

7. It will help people to understand themselves & will create the feelings of mutual love & respect.

8. By quiet introspection, the poet does not mean total inactivity; instead, he wants full involvement

with life.

9. The effect of the discord & war is the imbalance between man & nature.

10. Quiet introspection will establish a spiritual & physical union that is most desirable for the

survival of the earth & of human beings.

11. The example of Earth can teach us a lesson as during Winter everything seems dead but there

is a quiet period when regeneration takes place within seeming stillness and once again life comes

back with the arrival of Spring season.

Following literary devices/figures of speech have been used in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’:

1. Alliteration: It is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. e.g. ―we will count,

―sudden strangeness, ―stop for one second, ―his hurt hands, ―clean clothes.

2. Anaphora: Two consecutive lines starting with the word ‘Let’s’ e.g. ‘let’s not speak in any language,

let’s stop for one second’

3. Repetition: It is the repetition of words/phrases in the poem for poetic effect. e.g. ―without rush,

without engines.

4. Symbolism: The poet uses various symbols in the poem. e.g. ―counting to twelve symbolises time,

―Brothers symbolise mankind, ―green wars refer to new techniques of waging war, ―clean clothes

symbolise world peace, ―shade symbolises protection/ security, etc.

5. Antithesis: It is the juxtaposition of opposing or contrasting ideas. e.g., ―count to twelve and we

will all keep still. Here counting and keeping still are contrasting activities and are put together.

6. Personification: It is the attribution of human characteristics to non-human things and animals. e.g.,

―Earth can teach us.

7. Metaphor: It is used to make a comparison between two things that aren’t alike but do have

something in common. e.g. ―shade refers to protection.

8. Enjambment: It is the continuation of a sentence to the next line/stanza. In the poem, many

sentences continue to multiple lines. e.g. i) ―Now we will count to twelve and we will all keep still.

ii) ―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. iii) Perhaps a huge silence might interrupt this sadness of never

understanding ourselves and of threatening ourselves with death. etc.

9. Irony: When everything seems dead, later proves to be alive.

10. Pun: It is a figure of speech that includes a play of words wherein a word can have more than

one meaning. Eg. ‘not move our arms’. Here ‘arms’ refer to ‘hands’ and ‘weapons’.

Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow:

I. ―Now we will count to twelve

And we will all keep still…….And not move our arms so much.

1. 2. 3. Why does the poet want us to keep quiet?

How long does the poet exhort us to be silent?

Which figure of speech is used in the final line?

Answers
1.The poet wants us to keep quiet so that we can do self-analysis.
2.The poet wishes that we become still till we count twelve.

3. Pun

II I ld b i
II. It would be an exotic 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.

1. What does the poet mean by ‘an exotic moment’?

2. What kind of feeling would this exotic moment evoke?
3. How do the fishermen harm nature?
4. What sublime impact would keeping quiet have?

Answers:

1. 2. 3. 4. A never seen before silence would have a transcendental effect on us.

The exotic moment will evoke a feeling of solidarity with our brethren.

Fishermen harpoon whales. The whale population is gradually getting depleted. It

imbalances nature.

Keeping quiet would prompt us to introspect. It would be a sublime moment, when we

would identify ourselves with nature and our fellowmen.

I. Exercise: (unsolved)

―What I want should not be

Confused With total inactivity…….

threatening ourselves with death.

1. 2. 3. According to the poet, what is the difference between silence and inactivity ?

What graceful experience would we have, if we ceased our instinctive motion?

What do we fail to understand, although we live for a long time on this earth?

II. Short answer type questions: (40-50 words)

1. What do you think the poem is about?

It is about a transcendental experience, which is induced by ceasing all mundane

activities. Such experiences would evoke feelings of solidarity with our fellowmen and

apathy for our reckless attitude towards nature. It is an elementary stage in

self-realisation.
2. What do we fail to realize when we get marooned in mundane pursuits?

Men are too busy to find time to introspect. We pass away without realizing ourselves.

According to the poet, this ignorance of our real worth, is an association with death.

III. Extra questions (unsolved)

1) List a few rash activities that man indulges in.

2) Does the poet advocate inactivity? If not why?

3) What lesson can the earth teach us?