Keeping Quiet

About the poet - Pablo Neruda

Pablo Neruda (12 July 1904 – 23 September 1973) wrote in a variety of styles, including surrealist poems,
logical epics, overtly political manifestos, a prose autobiography and passionate love poems such as
Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair. Neruda won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971.
Theme
The poet, Pablo Neruda, urges mankind to cease all activity for a little while. During these few moments of
silence and inactivity, all human beings would be one, united, and in harmony with each other and nature.
This togetherness and oneness is most desirable for the survival of the earth and of human beings.
Neruda believes that the soul housed within the human body is capable of performing this feat if given a
chance to shine out through introspection, for which absolute silence and stillness is essential.
Keeping Quiet is a simple poem about the need for a little bit of soul-searching which may help us to make
peace with ourselves and others. It tells us how a moment of silent introspection will make us realize the
consequences of our aggressive endeavours.
Summary
In the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’, Pablo Neruda talks about the need for introspection and to create a feeling of
mutual understanding, love and respect in the human world. He speaks about life where human beings
are engrossed in their selfish motives and are living a life full of strife and destruction.
The poet asks everyone in the world to keep still for twelve seconds to create togetherness. He wants all
the people on the earth, not to talk in any language but to maintain a silence to communicate with each
other’s heart. He believes that this sudden moment of silence will be an exotic moment. There will be no
noise and no movement. The fishermen in the sea will stop killing the whales and the men who gather salt
will stop their work and look at their hurt hands. This kind of break will enable both nature and man to
embalm their rounds. Due to this break, human beings will start looking and caring for themselves rather
than their work. Moreover, those who are fighting with each other, will stop and walk about their fellow
brethren.
Pablo Neruda clarifies that he does not want to advocate total inactivity or death. He is concerned that we
all are running blindly in a rat race and, in this process, we have completely missed our true goal to keep
a balance between man and nature. This is a dangerous situation and can bring catastrophic results. So
our survival in this world depends upon our ability to understand and rectify this. This can be done only
when we introspect and develop a feeling of understanding with each other.
Form
Keeping Quiet is written in blank verse and has no rhyme scheme.

Message
`Keeping Quiet’ leaves a message of universal brotherhood and peace. It urges people to stop all sorts of
aggression, including that towards the environment. If we think of ourselves as the hands of the clock on
the face of this earth, moving in our routine ways, won’t it be a good thing to stop at twelve and do some
introspection?
Poetic Devices
Symbolism
`Count to twelve’ — symbolises a measure of time. The clock has twelve markings on it, the year has
twelve months and the day has twelve hours.
`Brothers’ — a symbol of mankind
`Clean clothes’ symbolise peace and change in one’s perspective.
`Fishermen in the cold sea…hurt hands’-symbolic image showing how man is ruthlessly destroying nature
for his selfish need.
The ‘hurt hands’ of the salt gatherer symbolises how he is harming himself by his mindless activities.
Metaphor
Fisherman and whale stand for the oppressor and oppressed respectively.
The poet talks about a metaphorical concept when he says that fishermen would not harm marine life.
‘Cold sea’ denotes the coldness of fishermen who do not bother about protection of sea life and in
moments of inactivity, they would not be able to disturb the sea animals. The salt gatherers would also
stop to look at their calloused hands that hurt due to this activity. They too would pause to think about
their mindless activities and their effects.
`In the shade’ — metaphor — just as shade protects us from the harsh sun, we will protect and shelter
each other as brothers, thus live in peace and harmony.
Personification
`Earth can teach us as when everything’ — Personification.
 Earth is personified as a teacher. When the earth appears to be dead, it is actually dormant and carefully
preserving the seeds of life, human beings too need to keep still and quiet to re-awaken the life forces to
be productive.
Alliteration
– sudden strangeness (stanza 3)
– clean clothes (stanza 5) (Refers to clean minds and bodies)
Transferred Epithet
– Cold sea (stanza 4)
Imagery
1. Use of repetition with a difference in the first and last lines of the poem.
2. ‘put on clean clothes’ metaphorical—cleanse one’s soul, remove traces of bloodshed.
3. Image of the earth-nurturer and life-giver.
1. Read the lines given below and answer the questions that follow: (1 x 4 = 4)
“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.
(a)What does the poet appeal for?
The poet appeals for peace and harmony on the earth.
(b) To attain this, what does he expect all of us to do?
He expects all human beings to be silent, totally inactive and introspect.
(c) Why does he advocate silence?
He advocates silence so that human beings could introspect about themselves without any external
disturbance.
(e)What kind of activity does the poet feel the man is involved with?
The poet feels that man is leading a very monotonous and dull existence. He is also engaged in
destructive activities that harm himself and nature too.

2. It would be an exotic moment (1 x 4 = 4 Marks)

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.
(a) What does he mean by ‘exotic moment’?
By ‘exotic moment’ the poet means that this moment will be worth cherishing as it would be
extraordinary.
(b) How could man achieve this exotic moment?
In this exotic moment, man would be able to stop all activity, remain silent and introspect. He would feel
enlightened and be in harmony with man and nature.
(c) What kind of a feeling would this exotic moment evoke?
It would be an extraordinary moment as a man would be at peace with himself and his surroundings. This
moment might reduce man’s sadness at having generated negative thoughts.
(d)What harm do the fishermen do and why do salt gatherer’s hands hurt?
The fishermen kill the whales and cause their extinction while salt gatherers’ hands hurt due to the course
and rough feel of the salt causing pain to their hands.

3. Those who prepare green wars, (1 x 4 = 4)

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.
(a)What are the kinds of wars mentioned in the above lines?
The poet mentions three types of wars, i.e. green wars that man wages against nature and the
environment. He also mentions wars with gas and wars with fire meaning that man kills other human
beings with the help of biological and nuclear weapons.
(b)What are green wars?
`Green wars’ refers to the environmental degradation caused by man’s mindless activities.
(c)How would the wars affect our lives?
Apart from the death of thousands of innocent people, the war would not leave anyone victorious because
there would be no survivors.
(d)What could be the ideal situation?
An ideal situation would be one in which human beings would be seen happily walking with others hence
depicting a feeling of oneness, unity and brotherhood. There will peace and universal brotherhood.
4. What I want would not be (1 x 4 = 4)
Confused, With total inactivity. Life is what it is about; I want no truck with death.
If we were not so single-minded about keeping our lives moving, and for once could do nothing,
Perhaps a huge silence, Might interrupt this sadness, Of never understanding ourselves
And of threatening ourselves with death.
 What does the poet mean by inactivity?
By ‘inactivity’ the poet means a period of total silence, no work, no disturbance. He visualizes a calm and
quiet atmosphere where man introspects and there is productive silence.
 How is inactivity different from death?
The poet only wishes for a few moments of inactivity and man be able to reflect on his actions. Death, on
the other hand, is the end of life, which the poet does not advocate.
What makes us sad and what are we single-minded about?
We are single-minded about moving on with our lives and focus only on our ambitions and goals. The
mechanised lifestyle and the feeling that we cause a threat to our own destruction makes us feel sad.
 What does the poet mean by ‘to have no truck with death’?
The poet wants to have no association with death as death is the end of life. He only appeals that we
should be more productive and give up endless and futile pursuits that cause unhappiness.

5. Perhaps the Earth can teach us (1 x 4 = 4)

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
(a) What can the Earth teach us?
The earth can teach us how to be in harmony with others while remaining silent and productive.
(b) How does it teach us this lesson?
The earth continues to nurture life despite all the harm done to it by man. It silently goes about its work
and this is the lesson that we should learn from it.
(c)How does the Earth ‘prove to be alive’?
The Earth nurtures life and ensures that the life cycle of birth, life and death moves on and the process of
regeneration goes on unhampered.
(d)What is the poet’s appeal?
The poet appeals to man to make an effort to keep silent for a few seconds and introspect in order to
make amends for a harmonious environment.

Short Answer Type Questions (30 to 40 words)

1. What is the poet’s appeal to the people?
The poet appeals to all the people to count up to twelve and then to be completely silent. During this
period of silence, he urges them to remain calm and stop all physical activity. He only wants peace during
this time.
2. To attain this, what does he expect all of us to do?
The poet expects all mankind to shun all activity, remain silent and indulge in introspection in order to
understand the meaning of life, their own destructive activities and make amends.
3. Why does he advocate silence?
He advocates silence because according to him, it is only during the few seconds of silence and inactivity,
that man will be able to take stock of his harmful activities and then try to practise harmony and
brotherhood in the world.
4. What kind of activity does the poet feel is a man involved in?
Man is involved in a large number of destructive activities. He is creating noise pollution, environmental
pollution, destroying wildlife and marine life. He is waging wars and is also destroying his own fellow men.
5. What does the poet mean by ‘exotic moment’ and how can man achieve it?
By ‘exotic moment’ the poet means the moments of silence and inactivity which will be extraordinary and
memorable because man will reflect on his activities and hence be able to make amends. This exotic
moment can only be achieved through total silence and inactivity even it is for a few seconds.
6. What kind of a feeling would this exotic moment evoke?
This feeling may be strange because it is not easy to imagine a situation of complete peace and silence.
According to the poet, this moment might remove our sadness of never understanding ourselves and
indulged in self-destructive activities.
7. What harm do the fishermen do and why do the salt gatherers hands hurt?
The fishermen harm marine life by killing the whales in the seas and hastening their extinction. The salt
gatherers’ hands hurt because the harsh and coarse feel of salt causes discomfort and pain to their hands.
8. What are the kinds of wars mentioned in the poem?
The poet mentions green wars, i.e., wars that man is waging against nature hence causing environmental
degradation, wars with gas and fire or using harmful biological and nuclear weapons to cause maximum
destruction to life and property. War with fire refers to the conventional mode of combat.
9. What can be the consequence of the war in our lives?
The poet observes that wars cause death and destruction. It leaves behind no survivors and hence no
victory for anyone. It is an ironical situation which can be avoided if a man takes action and decides never
to wage wars.
10. What could be an ideal situation according to the poet?
The poet strongly maintains that the ideal situation would be when people can happily walk hand in hand
under shady trees i.e. amidst a cool and harmonious atmosphere. They will then practise oneness, unity
and brotherhood.
11. How is inactivity different from death? What does the poet mean by `to have no truck with
death’?
According to the poet total inactivity only means a temporary stillness, whereas death means the end of
life. ‘No truck with death’ means that the poet does not want any association with death. He only urges
mankind to halt harmful activities for a few seconds.
12. What are we single-minded about?
The poet feels that individuals only think about keeping our lives moving at all costs, and in the process
lose sight of their goals. People only yearn for progress and fulfilment of ambitions, and that remains the
only focus while they are alive. Man is single-minded in his pursuit of wealth, supremacy and territorial
acquisition.
13. What, according to the poet, causes sadness?
Mindless destructive activities cause sadness in our lives. Behaviour that threatens mankind leads to
sadness and unhappiness.
14. What can the Earth teach us? How?
Earth can teach us to be productive and useful even when there is silence. The Earth nurtures all living
beings, plants and animals and quietly maintains the balance in nature. It helps in the rebirth of a new
life. We can all learn to be productive yet silent.
15. How does Earth prove to be alive?
The earth nurtures life and brings forth a new form. There is a regeneration of every living thing on this
earth and all things that die, are reborn and the cycle of life moves on.
16. How would keep quiet affect life in and around the sea?
In the state of stillness and silence, the fishermen will not harm the already endangered whales. In the
same way, the salt gatherers whose hands get hurt during the salt gathering process, will stop for a while
and rest their hands and do some introspection.
17. What will ‘counting up to twelve and keeping still’ help us to achieve?
Counting up to twelve and keeping still will help us to reach an understanding with each other and to
introspect. We will be able to realize the real impact of our selfish actions on each other and, finally, on
the entire humanity.
18. Which symbol from nature does the poet invoke that there can be life under apparent
stillness?
The poet uses ‘Earth’ as a symbol to invoke that there can be life under apparent stillness. The Earth
seems ‘still’ from outside but is alive and vibrant deep within. Similarly, our silence can help us to
maintain a harmonious life on Earth and stop the destruction.
19. ‘Life is what it is all about.’ How is keeping quietly related to life?
‘Keeping quiet’ is related to life because, in order to live a complete life, one must live life in order to live a
quality life, which is full of happiness, peace and satisfaction, we must develop a habit of thinking deeply
and this can be achieved through introspection.
20. Why does one feel a sudden strangeness on counting to twelve and keeping quiet?
When one keeps quiet and stops all his selfish actions and takes a break from the monotonous routine’
one gets time to introspect and analyse one’s actions. This brings a feeling of sudden strangeness’
21. How will keeping quiet protect our environment?
Keeping quiet refers to as stopping all activities for a moment and introspect. This will help us to analyse
the kind of deeds we are doing for our selfish purpose but which harm nature. This moment will make us
understand the fact that harmony with nature is very essential for the survival of mankind.
22.who will possibly be the effect of ‘keeping quiet’?
Keeping quiet will result in a mutual understanding among all human beings. We will be able to
understand the fact that the balance between nature and human beings is essential for our existence on
Earth.
23. Which is the exotic moment that the poet refers to in ‘Keeping Quiet’?
The poet refers to the exotic moment when everyone would be silent and still and there would be no noise
or mad race. It will evoke an environment of peace and quietness with no conflicts, quarrels, agreements
or wars. This moment will bring a sense of togetherness among all human beings.
24. What is the sadness the poet refers to in the poem “Keeping Quiet”?
The poet refers to the sadness which will arise due to the total destruction of mankind. According to the
poet, if the people have no time to think and retrospect, it will lead to the end of life on earth and a huge
silence will follow.
25. How, according to Neruda, can keeping quiet change our attitude to life?
According to the poet, if we keep quiet for a moment to introspect and cease our selfish and destructive
actions, it will lead to a change in our attitude to life.
26. Which images in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ show that the poet condemns violence?
Pablo Neruda gives the images of ‘green war’, ‘war with gas’ and ‘wars with fire’ and then associate these
wars with ‘victory with no survivors’. This is to emphasise the fact that wars will bring an end to the entire
human race. This shows that he condemns violence.
27. What are the different types of wars mentioned in the poem? What is Neruda’s attitude
towards them?
Pablo Neruda has mentioned ‘green wars’, ‘wars with fire’ and ‘wars with gas’. The poet does not
appreciate the concept of war. He condemns it by saying that these wars will result in victory with no
survivors. So instead of these wars and conflicts, we must develop the concept of mutual understanding
and co-existence.
28. How can the suspension of activities help?
The suspension of activities will help us to introspect. It will provide enough time from the mad rush and
selfish actions, when we all are able to ponder and analyse our own actions and attitude and finally
develop mutual understanding and realise the importance of co-existence.
29. Do you think the poet, Pablo Neruda, advocates total inactivity and death? Why/Why not?
The poet does not advocate ‘total inactivity because he has a firm belief in life. He wants everyone to live
a complete life full of peace and contentment. He wants everyone to take a break from the hectic schedule
and introspect for a while to improve the quality of life.
30. Why is Pablo Neruda against total inactivity?
The poet is against total inactivity because it means death whereas the poet has a firm belief in only
wishes us to take a break from the hectic, aimless life and introspect.
31. What does the poet want all the perpetrators of war to do?
The poet wants them to make their conscience clean from envy and selfish motives. They shook’ stop
fighting and develop an understanding of peace among human beings.
32. What, according to the poet, will be the ultimate end of a man if the present scenario of
wars and conflict continues?
According to Neruda, if the present scenario of war and destruction continues, it will lead to total
destruction of humanity. We all will perish and nobody will be left to celebrate the victory.
33. How, according to the poet, our state of mind will be changed if we maintain silence and
suspend activity for a white?
The poet believes that if we all stop for a moment to introspect and realize the impact of our actions. then
we will be able to understand the need to be together and develop a mutual understanding for the survival
on earth. This realization will bring a change in our state of mind and our attitude towards each other.
34. What does the narrator mean by ‘green wars’? What will be the consequence of such a
war?
‘Green wars’ means the war against the environment. In our pursuit of progress and materialism, we
forget the harm we cause to the world. Our resources are depleting. If we don’t take measures to save
our environment, our children will not enjoy the resources available to us.
35. What according to Pablo Neruda would be the ultimate end of a man if the present scenario
of wars continues?
If the present scenario of conflict continues, there will be a victory but no ‘survivors’. Pablo Neruda
suggests that we must all keep still and introspect so that there is peace and world unity. It is only during
the few seconds of silence and inactivity, that man will be able to take stock of his harmful activities and
then try to practise harmony and brotherhood in the world.
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