CH – 3

KEEPING QUIET

1. What will counting upto twelve and keeping still help us achieve?
Ans: Counting upto twelve gives us some time to introspect. Keeping still physically and mentally while
counting upto twelve will stop us from rushing and indulging ourselves in executing the evil things such as
waging wars, deforestation. Keeping still will also give us time to retrospect and then introspect over the evil
acts we undertake.

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

Ans: The poet does not advocate total inactivity and death. He clearly states in the poem that stillness should
not be confused with total inactivity which brings death. The poet wishes people should stop supporting acts
that take a toll on humanity or pose danger to the environment.

3. What is the 'sadness' that the poet refers to in the poem?

Ans: Our unthoughtful and hurried actions to achieve something land us in many problems. These actions cause
a great danger to humanity and environment. Eventually this thoughtlessness results in sadness. The 'sadness'
the poet refers to is created by humans and they themselves fail to understand this.

4. What symbol from Nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under apparent stillness?
Ans: The Earth never stops. Nature keeps working all the time. Although, in winter, the Earth appears to have
stopped; the water bodies freeze and the trees shed their leaves; but when spring follows winter, the Earth once
again blooms, the rivers flow and the trees have leaves and flowers again. Thus, the poet invokes the Earth as a
symbol to prove his point that there can be life under apparent stillness.