Keeping Quiet
By Pablo Neruda
About the poet
Pablo Neruda’s real name is Neftalí
Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He was born on 12 July, 1904, in the town of Parral in
Chile. His father was a railway employee and his mother, who died shortly after
his birth, a teacher. Some years later his father, who had then moved to the
town of Temuco, remarried Doña Trinidad Candia Malverde. The poet spent his childhood
and youth in Temuco. At age 13, he began his literary career as a
contributor to the daily La Mañana, where he published his first
articles and poems. In 1920, he contributed to the literary journal Selva
Austral under the pen name Pablo Neruda, which he assumed in honor of
Czech poet Jan Neruda.
Neruda died just two years after receiving his
Nobel Prize on September 23, 1973, in Santiago, Chile. Though his death was
officially attributed to prostate cancer, there have been allegations that the
poet was poisoned.
In 2011, Neruda's chauffeur alleged that the
writer said he'd been given an injection at a clinic by a physician that
worsened his health. Chilean judge Mario Carroza later authorized an official
investigation into cause of death. Neruda's body was exhumed in 2013 and
examined, but a forensics team found no initial evidence of foul play.
Poem:
Keeping Quiet
And
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.
It
would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines.
We would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.
Fisherman
in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would not look at his hurt hands.
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.
What
I want should 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.
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.
Introduction
The poet talks about the necessity of quiet
introspection as it can develop a feeling of mutual understanding among human
beings.
Theme
It is basically an anti-war poem. The poet is
deeply concerned about violence, cruelty to animals and plight of manual workers.
The poet offers a very simple solution to many of our social, political and
religious problems. The solution is self-introspection. If it is acted upon, it
will be the first major step towards uniting people. The second step is that
everyone should look within and analyze what is wrong and who is the wrong doer.
This will cleanse every heart and ennoble all people.
Summary
This poem advocates the importance of silence
and self- introspection. It can transform not only the life of an individual
but also the face of the earth. The poet says that it does not need much time
to look within and examine oneself. It will take only as long as it will take
to count to twelve. During this time of introspection (self-examination), one
should keep quiet and say nothing at all. It will give him a strange feeling of
togetherness with all others.
Although it may seem a little strange in the
beginning, it will eventually bring us all together. This silence will be free
from ‘the disturbing sounds of engines and people rushing to get their work
done’ for some time. He feels contended imagining the change that will be
brought about in those moments. The men who hurt their hands while collecting
salt will get a little rest. Even the people who seek fresh wars, using fatal
gas and weapons, will put on clean clothes and get a chance to walk among
their brothers. They will lead a hatred-free and calm life, giving a halt to
their destructive activities.
The poet clarifies that his wish should not be
considered as a case for “total inactivity”. He only wants to interrupt the
sad, cruel and baleful activities of the world for a few moments and make
the people introspect their actions. In fact what he says is connected with
life, not with death. Activity is very essence of life. Inactivity is death but
for a fresh, better and useful activity, a little stillness is essential.
The poet uses the image of the earth to show
how life exists in seemingly dormant things. In winter, the earth becomes so
still and silent that it seems to be dead. But later in spring, it seems to be
lively again. It has new beauties and colours added to it. Similarly, after a
little quietness and silence, man can resume his activities in a fresh and
better manner.
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.
5. Quiet introspection will establish a
spiritual & physical union that is most desirable for the survival of the
earth & of human beings.
Important Extracts
1.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow:
It
would be an exotic moment
without
rush, without engines
we
would be all together
in
a sudden strangeness.
Questions
Q1. Which moment is referred to here and
how will it be?
Ans. it will be
a moment of peace and introspection. It will be a strange and attractive
moment that will bring us closer.
Q2. How would we feel
at that moment?
Ans. We will realize a
feeling of oneness.
Q3. How will it bring all of us
together?
Ans. By
keeping quiet and still, we all will feel alike as if we are together.
2. Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow:
What
I want should not be confused
with
total inactivity.
Life
is what it is about;
I
want no truck with death.
Questions
Q1. What is it that
should not be confused with total inactivity?
Ans. It is the moment of
silence that should not be confused with total inactivity.
Q2. What is the life
about?
Ans. Life is about
actions and dynamism. It must go on. The efforts to keep the race alive cannot
be suspended even for a day. Action is essence of life.
Q3. Explain: "no truck with death".
Ans. Total inactivity
is a synonym of death and he has no association with death. This short silence
is very much alive and a preparation for renewed hectic activity.
3. Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow:
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.
Questions
Q1. In which wars are there no survivors?
Ans. There are no survivors
in the wars of poisonous gases and the war of firearms.
Q2. Who would put on clean clothes?
Ans. The war-wagers would
put on clean clothes.
Q3. What does ‘put on clean clothes’ signify?
Ans. ‘Put on clean clothes’
signifies the feelings of their mutual understanding.
4. Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow:
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.
Questions
Q1. What will happen if we go on thinking single-minded?
Ans. In case we go on thinking single minded,
we will remain busy in worldly activities, thereby we won’t find time for self-introspection.
It will be a sad situation.
Q2. How can we understand ourselves?
Ans. We can understand
ourselves through self-introspection.
Q3. In what way can huge silence dispel sadness?
Ans. Huge silence will
remove all our tension, violence and warfare. It will do away with all our
sadness.
Q4. What is the ‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem?
Ans. The poet Pablo Neruda
refers to ‘sadness’ which we form out of our own thinking and actions. We
understand a lot of things but fail to understand ourselves and our actions and
this becomes the creator of all disasters. This is the ‘sadness’ that the poet
refers to in the poem
Q5. Why does the poet want us to ‘do nothing’ for once?
Ans. The poet wants to do
nothing for once, here he specifies that we should cease all our activities in
order to have introspection within ourselves so that we can realize the exotic
moment.
Q7. How we can know ourselves?
Ans. We can know ourselves through introspection.
Q8. Identify ‘we’.
Ans. ‘We’ here refers to
all human beings.
5. Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow:
Perhaps the Earth can
teach us a
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.
Questions
Q1. What does the earth
teach us?
Ans. The earth teaches us
how life springs from dead things. It further teaches us to realize life under
stillness.
Q2. What does the poet
mean to achieve by counting upto twelve?
Ans. He wants us to achieve
peace by counting upto twelve.
Q3. What is the
significance of ‘Keeping Quiet’?
Ans. ‘Keeping quiet’ means
that we should avoid all those activities which hurt the nature.
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. Why does the poet want us to keep quiet?
Ans. Keeping quiet will develop a better
understanding among human beings and allow us to establish communion with our
fellow beings at spiritual level.
Q2. Does the poet advocate total inactivity and death by
suggesting being quiet?
Ans. No, the poet does not
advocate it. He wants no truck with death. In fact he wants to live life full
bloodedly. But by advocating quietness he wants mixing of physical and
spiritual aspect of life.
Q3. Why does not the poet want us to speak in any language?
Ans. The poet wants us not to speak in
any language to introspect and know what we are about- know the meaning of our
existence. He wants everybody to know his spirit and have spiritual contact
with others for sometimes for which no language is required.
Q4. What
will counting up to twelve and keeping still help us achieve?
Ans. Counting up to twelve
and keeping quiet will assist us in attaining a state of peace in which we will
be able to introspect and thus, see and appreciate the benefits of the
symbiotic relationship that would exist between humans and between man and
nature.
Q5. Do
you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death?
Ans. The poet does not
advocate total inactivity and death, but he does advise that we introspect
deeply and not indulge in activity that is mindless and thus potentially
destructive for human beings and for the balance that should exist between man
and nature.
Q6. What
is the ‘sadness' that the poet refers to in the poem?
Ans. Man fails to understand
themselves. They are always threatening themselves with death. When they do not
understand themselves, they become sad. Only silence might interrupt this
sadness and make them happy.
Q7. What
symbol from Nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under apparent
stillness?
Ans. Life under apparent
stillness can be seen in nature. During the winter season, the earth under the
snow looks dead, with no activity and no growth. But when the spring comes, the
snow melts away, the seeds sprout and the grass grows. All activities of life start
again.
Q8.
According to the poet, what is that human beings can learn from nature?
Ans. Nature teaches us a
lot of things. We must learn that all things are bound together and depend on
each other for their survival. We should introspect ourselves by remaining calm
and composed. So it teaches us to be quiet and still. It is no use to hinder
others. We should grow and develop at our own Place. We must be contended with
what we possess. There is no need for greed. The nature always remains alive.