NOTES

KEEPING QUIET-PABLO NERUDA

INTRODUCTION

Keeping Quiet is a splendid poem by Pablo Neruda that dwells on a quality which seems to have
been lost in the buzz of the 21st century – the quality of silence. 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 with one in the digital age where “switching
off” has become a much-needed lifehack. 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 to stay still and understand that one is a thread, woven within the
exquisite fabric of the cosmic order. It is to identify oneself with all and in doing so, escape the
“sadness of never understanding ourselves“. To keep quiet is to escape the death with which we
threaten ourselves and for once, truly and genuinely, live.

Poetic Devices

Transferred
cold sea
Epithet
we will, wars with, his hurt hands, sudden strangeness
Alliteration
clean clothes, so single
Repetition without rush, without engines
Personification Earth can teach us.
Let’s not speak……..
Anaphora
Let’s stop…
Pun Arms
Irony Victory without any survivors
 count to twelve, fisherman and whale, green wars
Symbol

we would all be together

Enjambment in a sudden strangeness
and for once could perhaps a huge silence……….ourselves with death.
"Prepare green wars" serves as a metaphor for environmental destruction,
contrasting with the idea of walking in the shade doing nothing.

“I want no truck with death.”

Here, “truck” is used metaphorically to mean involvement or dealing. The poet is
Metaphor saying he wants no involvement with death, emphasizing a preference for life
and peace.

Metonymy let’s not speak in any language;”

Hyperbole “for once on the face of the earth,”

`Count to twelve’ — symbolizes a measure of time. The clock has twelve markings on it, the
year has twelve months and the day has twelve hours.

`Fishermen in the cold sea…hurt hands’-symbolic image showing how man is ruthlessly
destroying nature for his selfish need.

Fisherman and whale stand for the oppressor and oppressed respectively.
‘Cold sea’ — transferred epithet.

The ‘hurt hands’ of the salt gatherer symbolises how he is harming himself by his mindless
activities.

Put on clean clothes’- Alliteration

Introspection will make us comprehend the destructive nature of wars. Man would cleanse his
heart purging it of hatred.
`Brothers’ — a symbol of mankind

`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.

`Clean clothes’ symbolize peace and change in one’s perspective.

`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.

SUMMARY

The poet urges people to get into a mode of total inactivity for some seconds. There should only
be silence, no movement and a mood of introspection. He condemns the mundane activities. He
says that we should not indulge in any mindless activity or speak in any language, nor does he
want any gestures of arms that can distract or disturb. He says that we should commit ourselves
to complete silence and inactivity
This moment of complete inactivity would be an extraordinary, memorable or cherished
moment. There would be no rush of activity, no noise and no disturbance. Man would not have
to cope with the fast pace of life. This would be a profound moment of bonding and
togetherness. There would be a complete relaxation of mind, body and soul.
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.
The poet feels that the whole speculation of wars and their destructive qualities would be
negated during those moments of silence. ‘Green wars’ refers to environmental degradation
caused by human activities, ‘wars’ with gases and fires refers to wars fought with nuclear and
bio weapons. A man may get the satisfaction of being victorious but ironically, wars leave
behind no survivors.
Those human beings who wage wars would be cleansed of all the murk and dirt from their
minds. They would then walk about with other individuals and exhibit amity, brotherhood and
harmony. They would do nothing to harm mankind or nature.
The poet does not wish to advocate total inactivity or silence, which may be misunderstood, and
confused with death. Life continues to remain what we make of it. If we were not so concerned
about keeping our lives active, i.e., doing things mindlessly and waging wars. We perhaps would
not lose sight of our goals. Our desire to achieve goals makes us single-minded and desperate. It
is then that we lose all perspective. The poet feels that silence for a while might alleviate sadness
from our lives. Quiet productivity in place of all activities is desirable. The end of all activities
does not mean death but just a break from the monotony of a stressful life.
The poet, in the last lines, feels that we can learn a lesson from earth. It can teach us how silence
is productive. The earth appears calm and quiet but is actually nurturing life. Things may die but
are reborn and the cycle goes on because the earth brings forth new life. The poet appeals to all
human beings to make an effort to keep inactive/ quiet. He has initiated the state of inactivity and
now it is the human beings who can carry on with this idea while he makes a quiet exit.

Keeping Quiet Poem Chapter Nutshell

1. The urgent need for mankind to introspect, buy time to start afresh.
2. To put an end to all destructive activities, be at peace, in universal brotherhood.
3. The need to live in peaceful co-existence with nature, to stop harming animals and avoid
annihilation of the human race.

THEME

The theme of "Keeping Quiet" by Pablo Neruda is centered on introspection, unity, and
peace. The poem calls for a moment of silence and stillness, suggesting that taking time to
pause and reflect can lead to a deeper understanding of ourselves and others. By advocating
for quietness and inner reflection, Neruda emphasizes the potential for personal and
collective transformation, promoting a sense of universal harmony and interconnectedness.
The poem encourages a break from the constant busyness of life to appreciate the value of
silence and the insights it can bring. It emphasizes the importance of self-reflection and the
collective need to pause and appreciate life, ultimately promoting a message of universal
peace and mindfulness.