KEEPING QUIET

-Pablo Neruda(Spanish Poet)

TITLE:
The title ‘Keeping Quiet’ symbolizes silence and stillness. The poem advocates for a moment of
total silence and inactivity, which will give us time to realize and rectify our mistakes.
Introspection or keeping quiet would be a blissful experience. However, this does not mean
complete stagnation. Instead, it suggests taking time to reflect internally and avoid engaging in
mindless and potentially destructive activities. The poem highlights the power of silence as a
means of understanding, connecting, and communicating. In this moment of silence, one can
experience the togetherness and unity that binds all humanity

CENTRAL IDEA:
The central idea of the poem Keeping Quiet is the importance of quiet introspection and
retrospection. It emphasizes the need to take a step back and reflect on ourselves and the
world, even if only for a short while. This introspection can help us better understand ourselves
and foster a sense of mutual understanding, harmony, and fraternity. A huge silence will give us
time to realize and rectify our mistakes. The poet believes that this silence will change our
perspective and thinking because it does not mean inactivity but rather patience like nature.
Through quiet contemplation, we can achieve both spiritual and physical unity.

THEME-
The poem in essence is about bringing people together through silent introspection and
retrospection on an individual level. The poet is worried about the raging wars against both
humanity and nature. He is distraught about the animal brutality, and the fate of manual laborers.
He believes most of our problems can be solved in a very easy way, less physical activity and
more mental activity. He wants peace, fraternity and harmony among everyone. But, we are
destroying our environment, killing our brothers and hurting ourselves and while doing all this,
we never introspect about ourselves and our actions. Therefore, he wants us to pause because
only then can we find an exotic place full of happiness.
SETTING PLOT-
Pablo Neruda's poem Keeping Quiet is about peace, fraternity, and prosperity. This poem was
written in the 1950s when the world was in the midst of a dead war. The poet too has
experienced the repercussions of war and his appeal for peace shows that he is fed up seeing
humans killing each other for power and money.

This poem was written during the Great Spanish War which at the time had led to the
assassination of Garcia Lorca, a noted Spanish poet, and political commentator, resulting in
Neruda feeling sad and dejected.

No poet breaks the silence with silence, nor slices through its vitalizing, clarifying, and
transcendent power, with more piercing elegance than Pablo Neruda in the poem titled “Keeping
Quiet,” written in the 1950s and posthumously published in the 1974 bilingual collection
Extravagaria.

GENRE-
“Keeping Quiet” is a peace poem written by the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. The poet asks
humanity to count numbers from one to twelve – twelve being the number of hours shown in a
clock or the number of zodiac signs. He requests everyone not to speak because languages
create barriers between people. The moment when everyone stops moving their body will be
very special and different as we have never experienced such a moment before.
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.

LITERARY DEVICES-
First stanza
● 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
● Alliteration- ‘we would’ – ‘w’ sound is repeated, ‘sudden strangeness’ – ‘s’ sound is
repeated, ‘his hurt hands’ – ‘h’ sound is repeated
Third stanza
● 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
● Alliteration: we were, so single – minded
● enjambment: and for once could perhaps a huge silence……..of threatening ourselves
with death.

Fifth stanza

● Personification: it is the attribution of human characteristics to nonhuman things and

animals. e.g. ``Earth can teach us as when everything“.

SUMMARY-
"Keeping Quiet" is a poem that reflects on the importance of introspection and the need to slow
down and take a break from the constant noise and chaos of modern life. The poem urges
readers to pause and take a moment of silence, to stop all activity and just be present in the
moment. This is described as a way to connect with nature and with each other, to find inner
peace.

The poem also reflects on the dangers of our modern way of life, which is often characterized by
greed, competition, and a relentless pursuit of progress which is an unsustainable kind of
lifestyle.

The poem offers a vision of a world in which people are able to live in harmony with each other
and with nature, a world in which silence and stillness are valued and embraced.

The poem's overall message is one of hope and optimism, suggesting that if we can find ways to
slow down and appreciate the beauty of the world, we can create a better future for ourselves
and for future generations.

PARAGRAPH-WISE SUMMARY-
(1) Silence :
The urge of the poet for us to keep still is the beginning note of the poem. He asks us to count to
twelve and just be still without any movements. 'Twelve' here might be a symbol for the twelve
markings on a clock, the zodiac signs or the twelve months in a year. Poet just asks us to keep
still for a given interval and hints that we must ponder a little about our lives while we are
keeping quiet.

(2) Standstill (No Commotion) :

The second stanza furthers the poet's idea of being quiet. The stanza talks about that for once
on this planet we should stop for an instance without uttering a syllable and not move our limbs.
The words "not move our arms so much" is a pun referring to the arms and ammunition people
use for wasteful ambitions. The stanza is all about inner awakening achieved through silence in
such a way that to resolve even the most complicated conflicts we don't have to say anything
and don't have to move about with the intention to kill someone.

(3) Inner Awakening :

Such a moment (according to the poet) would be a very rare occasion, an exotic moment with
no rush and hustle- bustle of city life. A moment of togetherness is achieved in an abrupt
strangeness which actually is an instance of a lifetime. 'Sudden strangeness' is presented in
alliteration signifying the importance of such a moment.

(4) Reflection and Critical Thinking :

In this paragraph, the poet tells us that not only the sea is cold but the fisherman is also cold as
he brutally and mercilessly kills the fish and ruins the equilibrium of nature but had there been
silence and a moment of peace, the fisherman would have time to introspect and look at his
course of action and realize the consequences of his actions. If there was silence and inactivity,
human beings would not destroy nature, the fisherman wouldn’t harm the fishes and the whales
and the man who gathers salt would be able to tend to his wounded hand for which he had no
time earlier as human beings are constantly moving and are in rush, leading a meaningless life.

(5) Mindless Actions - Death and Destruction:

The poet tells us about those people who wage wars against humanity and nature and cause
death and destruction. They celebrate a victory without survivors. This concept of victory is
lopsided. The poet says that human beings should stop such activities, shed their clothes which
are stained with blood, put on new clean clothes to have a pure mind, cleanse their soul and
introspect instead of going against humanity and walk hand in hand with their brothers in the
shade and do nothing. They should walk in a shade that is full of positive thoughts and they can
think clearly with a pure mind. In these moments of silence, there would be unity, peace, and
brotherhood among people. The poet suggests that the world full of death and destruction
caused due to war should be replaced by one which is full of peace, and harmony and people
are more humanized.

(6) Understanding(the poet’s words) :

The poet makes the clarification that even though he is advocating for the need for silence, it
should not be confused with total inactivity. He wants no association with death. He wants us to
stop living lifeless life and instead find happiness in every bit of it. Thereby, telling us not to be
like horses with blinkers. He wants us to escape the vicious cycle of people teaching each other
to live a life like a constantly moving train that constantly tries to accelerate. The poet says that if
we were not single-minded about keeping our lives moving and stopped for some time to
contemplate our lives, then the huge silence would intercept the sadness in our lives. The
sadness here refers to how human beings don’t have time to understand themselves and thus
they continuously threaten themselves with death continuously which makes them rush through
even the happy moments. The poet wants us to stop our physical activity but not our mental
activity.

(7) Nature As A Teacher :

The poet feels the Earth can enlighten us and guide us in this process of keeping quiet. He
wants us to observe that there is some activity under the apparent stillness. For instance, a seed
appears to be dead in the winter, but underneath there is growth which gives a fruitful result in
the spring. Also, the ocean seems to be calm but underneath there is a completely other world
where the growth of the plants and animals is happening every moment. This shows how
underneath silence there are signs of vibrancy. Through this poet tries to tell us that even if we
have a sad life we should live it to the fullest. Only through this can we find a place full of
happiness.

(8) Silence(Repetition of para 1):

Finally, the poet thinks he has said all that he had intended to and that he should leave us so
that we can go into a state of introspection.
(This para has been repeated to emphasize the need for silence in one’s life.)

IMPORTANT PHRASES-
1."Now we will count to twelve"-- This could signify 12 hours on a clock,12 months in an
year and 12 zodiac signs.
2."Lets stop for one second and not move our arms so much"-- This signifies that there
should be no communication between people(niether verbal nor non verbal).
3."It would be an exotic moment without rush,without engines."--It would lead to inner
awakening and more focus on power of silence.
4."Fishermen in the cold sea would not harm whales and the man gathering salt would
look at his hurt hands"-- It would lead to less number of injuries to the whale and the
gatherer would also take good care of his hands.
5."Victory with no survivors would put on clean clothes"--It tells us that the concept of
victory is lopsided,because there are no survivors to celebrate with.It is an absurd
concept. Clean clothes signifies a clear minded soul.
6."I want no truck with death"--this means that the poet does not want lifelessness i.e.
complete inactivity. Silence has to be only a brief moment of introspection.
7."When everything seems dead and later proves to be alive"--The earth can teach us a
lesson how to live on it. Just like seeds appears in a dormant state but in reality they
achieve life. Like that only the earth remains alive when everything seems dead.

MORAL MESSAGE-
The message of the poem Keeping Quiet is fraternity, brotherhood, peace and love.
Throughout the poem, the poet is telling us to keep quiet. This will help us to understand
how we are destroying our environment by deforestation, pollution and deadly wars.Not
just environment, we are killing animals, hurting ourselves and killing each other for
selfish reasons. However, when we will be silent, we will be able to introspect ourselves.
As silence is understood universally, there will be no language barrier and thus we all will
be one. There will be no hate or greed in the world. There should be self introspection by
humans for peace and harmony. Furthermore intospection and silence can transform the
face of the Earth and an individual's life. During the count of twelve, it is important for the
individual to keep quiet and deeply examine himself/herself. There should be no
discrimination between people on the basis of their appearance,caste,religion and region.
Silently introspecting will give the individual a strange feeling of unity and togetherness
with all others. Thus Earth will be a better place to live.

Question/Answers:
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:

(1)Which is the exotic moment that the poet refers to in 'Keeping Quiet'?
Ans:
The poet refers to the moment of stillness and quietness as an exotic moment because It will
initiate peace and brotherhood. There would be no movement, no talk, no activity and
consequently, no violence.

(2)Why does one feel 'a sudden strangeness’ on counting to twelve and keeping quiet?
Ans:
Normally people are active and the sounds of machines are heard. When we keep quiet and
introspect, it will be a strange and unfamiliar moment; thus, we will feel 'a sudden strangeness'
at this moment.

(3)How would keeping quiet affect life in and around the sea?
Ans:
Keeping quiet would affect life in and around the sea in two ways. By keeping quiet, the
fisherman will not kill whales for some time. Also, the salt gatherers will get some time to heal
their hurt hands.

(4)What are the different kinds of wars mentioned In the poem? What is Neruda's attitude
towards these wars?
Ans:
The poem writes about wars against humanity and nature. Green wars, wars with poisonous
gasses and wars with fire are the kinds of wars mentioned in the poem. Neruda's attitude
towards war is one of rejection. He feels that such wars may bring victory but there are no
survivors to celebrate the victory.

(5) Which images In the poem 'Keeping Quiet’ show that the poet condemns violence?
Ans:
The images of fishermen not harming the whales in the sea and wars leaving behind no
survivors to celebrate victory show that the poet condemns violence. The poet's refusal to have
any association or dealings with death also shows that he is not in favor of any form of violence.

(6)How is the poet's appeal for keeping quiet different from absolute sluggishness ?
Ans:
The poet, in his appeal for keeping quiet, emphasizes the importance of self-introspection in a
man's life. He urges us to seek a moment to understand ourselves and analyze our actions as
we experience the sadness of death. The poet's appeal for a moment of silence or stillness
should not be mistaken as a plea, as a moment of inactivity or absolute sluggishness. He seeks
a silence where people are not obsessed with work and give a personal moment to think about
their actions. This moment of silence will help them to overcome their woes and defects. The
poet even feels that the Earth will enlighten men in this process, as silence is only a moment
captured where there is activity under apparent stillness.

(7)What are the causes of sadness according to Pablo Neruda?

Ans:
Here the poet refers to the 'sadness' that we form out of our own thinking and action. We
understand a lot of things but do not understand himself and his actions. His rush and hurry
caused us trouble. He is bent on creating wars against humanity. He is the creator of all
disasters. This is the 'sadness' that the poet refers to in the poem. Let us introspect ourselves
calmly and create mutual understanding.

(8)How does stopping for a second help us, according to the poet, Pablo Neruda?
Ans:
According to Pablo Neruda, when we stop for a second we get an opportunity to introspect on
our follies. During this moment we will forget our differences and experience a strength of
togetherness which will give us a moment of bliss. By indulging in such moments of inacti-vity,
we will realize the harm we are causing to the world with our words and actions.

RTC-

Read the stanzas given below and answer the questions that follow each:

A . Now we will count to twelve and we will all keep still.

Questions
(a)Name the poem and the poet of these lines.
(a)The name of the poem is Keeping Quiet. The name of the poet is Pablo Neruda.

(b)Why does the poet ask us to count to twelve?

(b)There are only twelve signs on the clock to measure hours. Therefore, the poet asks us to
count till the clock measures these horns.

(c)Why does the poet ask us to keep still?

(c)Too much activity and rush has only brought misfortunes to mankind. Hence, it is better to be
quiet and still.

(d) Find words from the passage which mean.

(ii) say number (iii) quiet and motionless.
(d) (i) count (ii) still

B. “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.
It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.” (CBSE QB, 2021)

1. The poet uses the word “let’s” to _______

A) initiate a conversation between the poet and the readers.
B) invite readers as part of the poem’s larger call to humanity.
C) welcome readers into the world of the poem and its subject.
D) address readers as fellow members of the human race.

Ans. B) invite readers as part of the poem’s larger call to humanity.

2. Margaret Atwood said, “Language divides us into fragments, I wanted to be whole.”

Choose the option that correctly comments on the relationship between Margaret
Atwood’s words and the line from the above extract – “let’s not speak in any language”
A) Atwood endorses Neruda’s call to not speak in any language.
B) Atwood justifies Neruda’s request to not engage in any speaking.
C) Atwood undermines Neruda’s intent to stop and not speak in any language.
D) Atwood surrenders to Neruda’s desire for silence and not speak in any language.

Ans. A) Atwood endorses Neruda’s call to not speak in any language.

3. Why do you think the poet employs words like “exotic” and “strangeness”?
A) To highlight the importance of everyone being together suddenly for once.
B) To emphasize the frenetic activity and chaos that usually envelops human life.
C) To indicate the unfamiliarity of a sudden moment without rush or without engine.
D) To direct us towards keeping quiet and how we would all be together in that silence.

Ans. B) To emphasize the frenetic activity and chaos that usually envelops human life.

4 Choose the option that correctly matches the idioms given in Column A with their
meanings in Column B.

Column A Column B

1. On the face of the earth (i) In existence

2. What on earth (ii) To do all possible to accomplish something

 3. Move heaven and earth (iii) To express surprise or shock

4. The salt of the earth (iv) To be good and worthy

A) 1 – (i); 2 – (iv); 3 – (iii); 4 – (ii)

B) 1 – (i); 2 – (iii); 3 – (ii); 4 – (iv)
C) 1 – (ii); 2 – (i); 3 – (iv); 4 – (iii)
D) 1 – (iv); 2 – (ii); 3 – (iii); 4 – (i)

Ans. B) 1 – (i); 2 – (iii); 3 – (ii); 4 – (iv)

B. “Perhaps the Earth can teach us

as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive
Now I’ll count upto twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.” (All India 2013)

1. What does the Earth teach us?

Ans. The Earth teaches us how new life springs from dead remains, and how there is life under

apparent stillness.

2. What does the poet mean to achieve by counting up to twelve?

Ans. The poet wants to achieve peace by counting up to twelve. He wants us to introspect in a
moment of silence.