ENGLISH CLASS XII

Note: All the students of class XII are requested to copy these notes in their English
registers.

KEEPING QUIET -by Pablo Neruda

Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) is the pen name of Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto who was born in
the town of parral in Chile. Neruda’s poems are full of easily understood images which make
them no less beautiful. He won the Nobel Prize for literature in the year 1971. In this poem he
talks about the necessity of quiet introspection and creating a feeling of mutual understanding
among human beings.

Keeping Quiet is an earnest request, a plea by the poet to the entire mankind to stop for a few
moments and introspect. He sees the futility of actions in the modern day life where actions have
ceased to have a positive outcome. In today’s world of stress and wars they have acquired a form
of destruction and non- productiveness.

The poet begins by saying he will count upto twelve and we must all keep still. The counting of
twelve is just symbolic of a few moments of introspection. For once he wants us to be still and
speechless, thus transcending the barriers created by language chauvinism and discrimination.
We must not move our arms so much because each action of ours is futile, destructive and non-
productive.

The poet goes on to call this moment of stillness an ‘exotic moment’ without rush without
mechanization, a moment of togetherness bound in the spirit of universal brotherhood with no
barriers and divisions.

The next stanza shows us how these moments would positively help the environment. The
fishermen would cease to harm the whales that are close to extinction. The man gathering salt
would see his bruised hands. He will see how in actuality he has been harming himself. Those
who organise ‘green wars’, wars against the environment, chemical wars and nuclear wars,
where victory is achieved at the cost of no survivors. These men for a change would put on clean
clothes which do not smell of bloodshed but reflect purity of thought and walk with his fellow
beings doing nothing.

In the following stanza the poet clarifies what he has been saying by requesting us not to confuse
these moments of stillness and meditation with complete inactivity. He says that life is all about
movement, a universal cycle, a certain rhythm and stopping would mean death. He wishes to
have nothing to do with this. Also what he wants us to do is to move away from this mechanical
functioning of our lives and interrupt this thoughtless activity. He wants to make us aware of the
repercussions of all that we have been doing. He urges us to break this ‘sadness’ of living an
entire life and not even understanding ourselves, leave aside the others.Of indulging in life
threatening activities with disasterous consequences.

The poet concludes with asking us to turn to our first instructor, our teacher ‘nature’ and learn
from winter, a period of quiet and stillness which rejuvenates in the spring, a period of life, rebirth,
vivacity and beauty. Spring then is nothing but the culmination of winter’s momentary stillness. So
will our actions be transformed into something beautiful and productive after a few moments of
stillness, contemplation and meditation. So let us count up to twelve….
 ENGLISH CLASS XII

Note: All the students of class XII are requested to copy these notes in their English
registers.

KEEPING QUIET -by Pablo Neruda

QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS.

Q.1 Discuss the theme of the poem Keeping Quiet.

Ans. If speech is silver silence is gold. For in the vast treasures of deep silence one can find a
large resource of peace and tranquillity. In the hidden recesses of silence, all digressions
disappear, as one is with oneself at one’s peaceful best. Silence creates an exotic moment where
one forgets one’s differences. Wars come to a standstill and a feeling of brotherhood prevails.
The poem Keeping Quiet celebrates the necessity of introspection and the advantage of doing
nothing for sometime in life. Much of the evil disappears in the depths of silent and inactive life. If
a man at one point of time does nothing, life on earth can become heaven for those moments in
life.

Q.2 What will counting up to twelve and keeping still help us achieve?

Ans. Counting up to twelve and keeping still will help us achieve tranquillity and peace of mind.
By saying counting up to twelve, the poet is trying to tell us to take out a few moments from our
life and devote them to meditation that is making them moments of introspection and this will help
us achieve universal brotherhood.

O.3 Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death?

Ans. No, the poet does not advocate total inactivity and death. He actually wants us to put an
end to all the destructive activities. He wants us to pause and meditate for a few moments and
give a thought to our destructive activities that we perform at the cost of nature and precious lives.

Q4. What is the ‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem?

Ans. The sadness here refers to the people living an entire life and not being able to understand
themselves and their actions. This lack of self understanding results in the destructive activities
which creates havoc all over the world.

Q5. What symbol from nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under
apparent stillness?

Ans. The poet treats the winter as a symbol of momentary death in nature. The world seems to
be in a contemplative and introspective mood. This is followed by the spring which is synonymous
with rebith and rejuvenation. The most beautiful and colourful phase of nature. Similarly if we take
a pause and think about our activities, rejuvenation of thoughts will take place. These new
thoughts will be more beautiful and productive for the entire world and mankind.