M.E.

S INDIAN SCHOOL
ABU HAMOUR BRANCH, DOHA – QATAR
NOTES [2023-2024]

Class & Div.: XII (All Divisions) Subject: English

Lesson/Topic: Keeping Quiet Date: 04/05/2023
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Ref. No. ENG-N-12

GLOSSARY
Still = quiet and motionless
Face = surface
Exotic = unusual and exciting
Rush = hurry
Engines = machines
Strangeness = something unusual or surprising
Cold sea = sea near the polar regions
Green wars = wars against nature or environment
Survivors = people left alive after a war
In the shade = under the trees
Confused = misunderstood
Inactivity = not doing anything
Want no truck with = refuse to deal with
Interrupt = stops or disturb
Threatening = endangering, causing trouble or threat
Count to twelve = Counting has been considered as an act of calming down by psychiatry
The face of Earth = The entire world without any exceptions
Sudden Strangeness = Absolute calm is something which is hardly practiced by us. The act of
‘keeping quiet’ all at once, is bound to fill us with a sense of
unfamiliarity since it a practice so alien to humans who always feel the
need to be in some activity, as professed by the poet in the poem
eventually
Hurt Hands = Taxing manual labor such as gathering salt has a corroding effect on the hands
Green Wars = Wars on Nature
Gas = Reference to gas bombs
Clean clothes = note of anti-violence struck by the poet through this phrase
Total inactivity = Dormancy
Want no truck with death = The poet does not want the readers to misunderstand the
stillness - that he recommends for death

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Single minded = Narrow in thoughts, having a lack of a vision while thinking
Sadness of never understanding ourselves = the feeling of discontent emerging from being
unaware of our mental composition, capabilities
and all our desires

BACKGROUND
Keeping Quiet dwells on quality of silence which seems to have been lost in the buzz of 21st
century. In an age which accepts rush in a celebratory gesture, Keeping Quiet is a gentle
reminder what life can be like in a brief moment of a silent pause. This message instantly
resonates in the digital age where “switching off” has become a much needed life-hack. The
theme of quietude and stillness is accompanied with the themes of peace, pacifism,
fellowship, solidarity, brotherhood, justice and ecological conservation. To keep quiet is stay
still and understand that one is a thread, woven within the cosmic order. It is to identify
oneself with all and for once, truly and genuinely, live.

FORM
Keeping Quiet is written in blank verse and has no rhyme scheme.

INTRODUCTION
The poem “Keeping Quiet” written by Pablo Neruda discusses the need of maintaining peace
and silence. He stresses upon being quiet and harmless to the human beings, animals and
environment. He suggests that in order to maintain peace and harmony, it is required to stop
and introspect ourselves.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pablo Neruda (1904 – 1973) was the ‘pen name’ of Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto and later,
‘legal name’ of this famous Chilean poet- diplomat- politician. He won the Noble prize for
literature in the year 1971. He wrote in green ink which was his personal symbol for desire
and hope. His writings are simple, wherein lies their beauty.
Originally written in Spanish, the essence of this poem is based on introspection and
retrospection. The poet feels that some soul-searching is needed for us to be at peace with
ourselves and others.

MAIN POINTS
1. The poem talks about the necessity of quiet introspection.
2. It will help people to understand themselves & will create the feeling of mutual love &
relationship.
3. By quiet introspection, the poet doesn’t mean total inactivity; instead he wants full
involvement with life.
4. The reason for the discard & war is the imbalance between man & nature.

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5. Quiet introspection will establish a spiritual & physical union that is most desirable for the
survival of the earth & of human beings.

THEME-1
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.

THEME-2
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 utter of our aggressive endeavors.

MESSAGE / CENTRAL IDEA

`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?

JUSTIFICATION OF THE TITLE

The title of the poem suggests that we must keep quiet for a moment. There will be silence
and all will set together and realize the value of collectiveness. Here, we should not confuse
‘stillness' with 'total inactivity’. Life should go on as it is doing about. Even the nature remains
at work and keeps the earth alive which remains busy in doing some activity. The poem
stresses the significance of mutual understanding and necessity for introspection. Thus the
title is quite appropriate.

POETIC DEVICES
• Alliteration = We will (line 1 and 2); Once on; we would; Sudden strangeness; his hurt
hands; wars with; clean clothes; we were; so single-minded;
• Pun = Meaning 1- ‘hands’ meaning 2- ‘weapons’
• Repetition = Without .... without; wars with …. wars with;
• Symbolism = Cold sea – symbolised as polar region
• Enjambment = and for once could perhaps a huge silence …. of threatening ourselves
with death.
• Antithesis = Count ................still; Dead …. Alive;

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 • Assonance = use of vowel ‘o’ (victory with no survivors, would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers); 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,

THINK IT OUT
Q1. What will counting up to twelve and keeping still help us achieve?
Ans: Counting up to twelve takes very short time. Keeping still for this brief interval of time
gives us a momentary pause to introspect and review the course of action. It is generally
observed that most of the ills and troubles of the world are caused by our rush or hurry.
Violence is caused by anger. Keeping quiet and still will give us necessary respite and ensure
peace.
Q2. Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death?
Ans: No, he doesn’t advocate either total inactivity or death. He makes it quite clear that
‘stillness’ should not be confused with “total inactivity or equated to it. Total inactivity brings
death. But Neruda has ‘no truck with death’. His stillness means halting of harmful and
hostile human activities.
Q3. What is the ‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem?
Ans: Man’s sadness is formed out of his own actions and thoughts. It is quite ironical that
man who understands so much fails to understand himself and his action. Rash actions prove
harmful and disastrous. Man is the creator of all disasters. He is always threatening himself
with death because of his thoughts and actions. This is the tragedy of his life.
Q4. What symbol from Nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under
apparent stillness?
Ans: The poet wants to prove that there can be life under apparent stillness. The poet
invokes the earth as a living symbol to prove his point. The earth never attains total inactivity.
Nature remains at work all the time even under apparent stillness. It keeps earth alive. This
idea is beautifully illustrated by the following lines: “as when everything seems dead and
later proves to be alive.”
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