Keeping Quiet Explanation

First stanza
Now we will count to twelve

and we will all keep still.
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.
The poet here requests everyone to count till twelve in their own mind and to stop for a while.
Maybe this ‘twelve’ referred to by the poet is the twelve hours in the clock or the twelve months
in a year. He wants everyone to stop and calm down. The poet urges everyone not to speak any
language. As we all know that there are different languages spoken in different parts of the
earth which sometimes become a barrier in our way for peace. So, he asks people not to speak.
Not only this, he also wants us to stop moving our arms. By using the word ‘arms’ he means the
weapons which are used by different countries to raise a war against each other. So basically
the poet is demanding peace from all of us.
Literary devices:
Assonance: Use of vowel sound ‘o’ and ‘e’ (Now we will count to twelve, not move our
arms so much)
Anaphora: Two consecutive lines starting with the word ‘Let’s’
let’s not speak in any language,
let’s stop for one second,
Alliteration: the repetition of a consonant sound at the start of 2 or more closely placed
words.
‘we will’ – ‘w’ sound is repeated
Second stanza
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.
Poet says that it would be a rare situation when there will be no engines working. Here he wants
to stay that if everything comes to standstill, it will be a very different moment. If all the engines
like the vehicles and machines stop, then there will be a sudden, strange situation as the world
will experience a sudden calmness. People will not be in a rush to achieve material things one
after another. Further the poet says that the fisherman will also stop and not harm whales in the
sea. This means that the poet is urging everyone not to harm the animals. Here he gives the
example of whales which are being hunted for the purpose of food or trade. He also wants
people to calm down so that they can stop and see what they have achieved or lost. For this he
gives the example of the man who gathers salt, whose hands are hurt. Here he wants everyone
to stop for a while in order to see and feel their achievements and how much they have lost for
the sake of attaining such materialistic things.
Literary devices:
Alliteration- ‘we would’ – ‘w’ sound is repeated, ‘sudden strangeness’ – ‘s’ sound is
repeated, ‘his hurt hands’ – ‘h’ sound is repeated
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 inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.
The poet asks everyone to stop those activities which are damaging the environment. Today all
the human beings are making money by damaging the environment with their activities such as
mining, deforestation, letting the chemical waste into rivers, etc. The poet asks us not to do so.
He also requests people not to involve in wars as there is no benefit of achieving such victory in
which no one is left alive. He says so because wars and environmental damage will lead to no
life on earth. Rather, he wants people to adopt a new approach towards life and mankind. He
says that you should treat your enemy like brothers and promote peace and harmony in the
world.
Literary devices:
Alliteration: ‘wars with’ – ‘w’ sound is repeated, ‘clean clothes’ – ‘c’ sound is repeated
Assonance: use of vowel ‘o’ (victory with no survivors, would put on clean clothes and walk
about with their brothers)
Repetition: use of ‘war’
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.
Now the poet wants to clarify to his readers that when he asks them to stop from saying or
doing anything, he doesn’t want anyone to become a non active person. Non active is a person
who remains idle and doesn’t do anything. Here, he simply means that we should stop and see
the consequences of our deeds. The poet doesn’t want to see people being killed due to their
greed for money and expansion of territories. Further, he says that people are continuously
working to achieve their tasks without even thinking about their results. They are in fear of death
and therefore, want to achieve most of the things before their death. Here he urges them to stop
for a while and take some moment to relish on what they have achieved till now. Everyone here
is living a life in which he wants to achieve various things one after another. But now the poet
says it is the time to stop and see what has been achieved and should be enjoyed. This will help
us skip the sadness which has become so prominent in our lives. The sadness of not enjoying
what we have achieved and the greed to achieve what next is in the list to be achieved.
Literary devices
Alliteration: we were, so single – minded
enjambment: and for once could perhaps a huge silence……..of threatening ourselves
with death.
Fifth 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.
So, now the poet suggests to the human beings that we should learn a lesson from Earth.
During the winters everything freezes and becomes lifeless. But when season changes and its
the onset of spring season, everything present in the nature such as the trees, birds, rivers, etc
gets life. So here, the poet, by giving the example of nature, wants to say that all the human
beings should stop and try to judge their deeds. They can try and make their life better with
calmness, peace. Finally, he ends up by saying that now he will count upto twelve so that we all
may become quiet. Here ‘quiet’ means to calm down ourselves and move towards the path of
peace and harmony. After saying this he says ‘I will go’. He says so as he has conveyed his
message to the people and wants them to be left alone to think about it and work in the direction
of peace.

Keeping Quiet Explanation

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First stanza

Now we will count to twelve

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