Keeping Quiet

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 a 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.

Poetic Devices
`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. The ‘hurt hands’ of the salt
gatherer symbolises how he is harming himself by his mindless activities.
Fisherman and whale stand for the oppressor and oppressed respectively. ‘Cold sea’ — transferred
epithet.
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.
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
Alliteration – sudden strangeness (stanza 3)
– clean clothes (stanza 5) (Referring to clean minds and bodies)
Transferred Epithet – Cold sea (stanza 4)
Metaphor – put on clean clothes’ – cleanse one’s soul, remove traces of bloodshed.
 Extract Based Questions
1. “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(Compartment 2014 Modified)
(a) Whom does ‘we’ refer to in the above lines?
(b) Why does the poet want us to ‘do nothing’ for once?
(c) What is the‘sadness’that the poet refers to in the poem?
(d) How can a huge silence do good to us?
Answer.
(a) ‘We’ refers to the human beings, who are always thinking about their own progress and
advancement.
(b) The poet wants us to ‘do nothing’ for once so that our mind can be at peace and we are able to
introspect and analyse our own actions.
(c) The poet refers to the ‘sadness’ which arises due to the fact that people fail to understand
themselves. They have no time to introspect about their actions and their consequences.
(d) A huge silence can do good to us because we are able to achieve peace in this silence. It helps us in
analysing ourselves and our actions, interrupting the sadness of threatening ourselves with death.
2. 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.
(a) What does the Earth teach us?
(b) What does the poet mean to achieve by counting upto twelve?
(c) What is the significance of ’keeping quiet’? (All India 2013; Modified)
(d) What is always alive, even when everything seems to be dead?
or
(a) What does the Earth teach us?
(b) Why does the poet countupto twelve?
(c) What will keeping quiet help us achieve?(Delhi 2008 Modified)
(d) How does the Earth teach us that there is activity even in apparent stillness?
Answer.
(a) The Earth teaches us how new life springs from dead remains, and how there is life under apparent
stillness.
(b) The poet wants to achieve peace by counting upto twelve. He wants us to introspect in a moment
of silence.
(c) Keeping quiet doesn’t mean just not speaking. It means that we should avoid all activities which
hurt nature and, in turn, hurt us.
(d) The Earth is always alive, even when everything else seems to be dead. There is always some
activity going on in nature beneath its apparent stillness.
or
Answer. (a) The Earth teaches us how new life springs from dead remains. It gives us lessons about
sustaining and resurrecting life.
(b) The poet is initiating an exercise in meditation. When he counts upto twelve, the meditator puts
away all digressions and experiences bliss. He wants all meditators to experience that bliss.
(c) Keeping quiet will help us introspect, reflect and experience silence and peace. This will in turn help
us find solutions to our problems.
(d) Though the Earth appears still, there are so many changes that keep occurring beneath its surface.
A seed that seems dead germinates under the Earth and a new life springs from it.
3. For once on the face of the Earth let’s not speak in any language,
let’s stop for one second, arid not move our arms so much.
(a) Why does the poet want us to keep quiet?
(b) What does he want us to do for one second?
(c) What does he mean by “not move our arms”? (Delhi 2012; Modified)
(d) How can this moment of stillness help us?
Answer.
(a) The poet wants us to keep quiet in the hope that the moment of tranquillity might help us in
finding the answers to our problems.
(b) The poet wants us to be silent and motionless for one second.
(c) The poet means that we should be in a state of total stillness with no physical activity at all.
(d) This moment of stillness can provide us physical and mental rest, during which our mind will be at
peace. We can analyse our actions and their consequences and avoid rash or thoughtless behaviour.
4. It would be an exotic moment without rush, without engines,
we would all be together in a sudden strangeness.
(a) What will happen if there is no rush or running of engines?
(b) Why would it be called an exotic moment?
(c) How would we feel at tliat moment? (Foreign 2011; Modified)
(d) Name the poem and the poet.
Answer.
(a) It will be an ecstatic moment of tranquility without rush or running of engines.
(b) It would be called an exotic moment because it will be an instance of universal peace and
brotherhood. In that moment, all of us would initiate introspection through meditation and the whole
world will be enveloped in quietness.
(c) We would feel very strange at that moment, because at that time everyone will have a feeling of
oneness with their fellow human beings. It will be a new feeling altogether.
(d) The poem is ‘Keeping Quiet’, and the poet is Pablo Neruda.
5. 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) How long does the poet want to stay still?
(b) What does he hope to achieve by keeping quiet?
(c) What does the poet mean by “not move our arms so much”? (All India 2009; Modified)
(d) Why does the poet suggest us not to speak in any language?
Answer.
(a) The poet exhorts each one of us to count to twelve and then be quiet, silent and motionless for a
brief moment.
(b) He hopes to achieve and realise the value of quiet introspection. In this silence, we shall feel that
all are together and will experience a strange feeling of togetherness.
(c) By this, he means that we should not make any physical movement, as physical activity will stop dr
interrupt our introspection.
(d) The poet wants us to simply be silent for a moment and utilise that time to understand ourselves
as well as others. Besides, language differences often lead to conflict, which the poet, perhaps, wants
to avoid.
6. Fishermen in the cold sea would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt would look at his hurt hands.
(a) What does the poet expect of the fishermen and why?
(b) While gathering salt, what will the man do?
(c) What do the hurt hands imply? (All India 2008; Modified)
(d) How would man and nature benefit in this moment of silence?
Answer.
(a) In the exotic moment of silence and introspection, fishermen will become conscious the fact that
they are causing harm to the whales. The poet expects this because he feels that at this opportune
moment all evil will come to an end.
(b) The man gathering salt will stop for a while at that quiet moment and look at his hurt hands.
(c) ‘Hurt hands’ means that human beings are oblivious of the pain they are causing to themselves in
the pursuit of amassing more and more comforts. They have no time for themselves.
(d) In this moment of silence, man will not harm nature, and both human beings and nature will get
some time to attend to and recover from their wounds.

Read the lines given below and answer the questions that follow:
1. 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?
Ans. The poet appeals for peace and harmony on the earth.
(b) To attain this, what does he expect all of us to do?
Ans. He expects all human beings to be silent, totally inactive and introspect.
(c) Why does he advocate silence?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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
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’?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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
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?
Ans. 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?
Ans.`Green wars’ refers to the environmental degradation caused by man’s mindless activities.
(c)How would the wars affect our lives?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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 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.
1. What does the poet mean by inactivity?
Ans. 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.
2. How is inactivity different from death?
Ans. 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.
3. What makes us sad and what are we single-minded about?
Ans. 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.
4. What does the poet mean by ‘to have no truck with death’?
Ans. 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 those cause unhappiness.
5. 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
(a) What can the Earth teach us?
 Ans. 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?
Ans. 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’?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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’?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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?
Ans. 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.

Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 words)

Question.1. Which is the exotic moment that the poet refers to in ‘Keeping Quiet’? (Delhi 2014)
Answer. The poet refers to the moment of stillness and quietness as an exotic moment. It would be an
exotic moment, as such a tranquillity will initiate peace and brotherhood. There would be no
movement, no talk, no activity and consequently, no violence.
Question.2. What is the sadness that the poet refers to in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’? (All India 2014)
[or] What is the sadness that the poet refers to in the poem? (All India 2011)
Answer. The poet refers to the sadness which surrounds man due to not having any time for himself,
the pain of not understanding what he or his fellow human beings want. He has no time for
introspection; as a result, he is unable to analyse his own actions and understand its consequences.
Question.3. Which images in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ show that the poet condemns violence?
(Compartment 2014)
Answer. The images of fishermen not harming the whales in the sea and wars leaving behind no
survivors to celebrate the victory show that the poet condemns violence. The poet wants the
warmongers to change their blood-stained clothes to clean ones. The poet’s refusal to have any
association or dealing with death also shows that he is not in favour of any form of violence.
Question.4. What symbol from nature does the poet use to prove that keeping quiet is not total
inactivity? (Foreign2014)
Answer. The poet uses nature as a symbol to explain his idea that there can be life under apparent
stillness. According to him, keeping quiet is not total inactivity. A seed may appear to be dead and
inactive, but one day, the same seed may turn into a fruitful tree.
Question.5. How, according to Neruda, can keeping quiet change our attitude to life?
(Compartment 2014)
Answer. Keeping quiet and suspending all our activities for a brief moment will give us time to
introspect and analyse our own actions. We will develop a new understanding of our surroundings and
thus change our attitude to life. We will check our destructive ways and try to be more positive and
constructive.
Question.6.What are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the poem? What is Neruda’s
attitude towards these wars? (Delhi 2013)
Answer. The poet has written about wars against humanity and nature. Green wars, wars with
poisonous gases and wars with fire are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the poem. Wars do
good to no one. Pablo Neruda feels that such wars may bring victory, but there are no survivors. It
means that there is heavy loss on both sides.
Question.7. How can suspension of activities help? (All India 2012)
Answer. The poet believes that suspension of activities will allow man to introspect, which can help
them in analysing their own actions, and in solving many of their problems based on caste, religion or
nationality. It will help them develop a new understanding of their surroundings, and thus make them
mend their destructive ways.
Question.8. Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death? (Delhi 2011)
Answer. No, the poet clearly states that his asking for stillness should not be confused with total
inactivity or death. He perceives life to be a continuous process, where man’s activities should not
lead to destruction of fellow human beings or nature, but should be channelised in a resourceful way.
Question.9. According to the poet, what is it that human beings can learn from nature? (Al 2010)
Answer. Life under apparent stillness in attitude is the thing which man can learn from nature. The
Earth is never in a state of total inactivity. Nature carries on its work even where there is stillness all
around. Winter is associated with inactivity, but this is not actually true.
Question.10.What will counting upto twelve and keeping quiet help us to achieve? (Foreign 2009)
Answer. The poet asks each one of us to count to twelve and then be quiet, silent and motionless. This
quietness will create a moment of togetherness among all; a condition which is foremost for the
survival of humanity, which is indeed an achievement. It will also give us One to analyse our actions
and their consequences.
Q11. What does the narrator mean by ‘green wars’? What will be the consequence of such a war?
Ans. ‘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.
Q12. What according to Pablo Neruda would be the ultimate end of a man if the present scenario of
wars continues?
Ans. 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.