SENIOR SECONDARY THOOTHUKUDI

Keeping Quiet – Pablo Neruda

Grade: XII

Short Questions with Moderate-Length Answers

1. What does the poet want us to do?

Ans: The poet urges us to pause our activities, keep quiet, and reflect silently. He believes this moment of stillness
can help us develop a better understanding of ourselves and the world.

2. Why should we not speak in any language?

Ans: Language often divides people through national, cultural, or regional identities. By avoiding language, the poet
hopes we can experience unity beyond boundaries.

3. What should we not do with our arms?

Ans: The poet says we should not move our arms so much, meaning we should stop all aggressive or violent actions
and allow peace to take over.

4. What kind of moment would it be if we kept still?

Ans: It would be a strange but beautiful moment—a rare time of peace and calm where people are united in silence,
away from noise and chaos.

5. What will happen in the absence of rush and engines?

Ans: Without the noise and pressure of machinery and speed, people will get time to breathe, reflect, and realize the
deeper value of life.

6. What would fishermen stop doing?

Ans: The fishermen would stop hunting whales, symbolizing a break from harming nature. It reflects the poet's hope
for a moment of kindness toward the environment.

7. What would the man gathering salt do?

Ans: He would pause and notice his injured hands, symbolizing human suffering. The poet wants us to become aware
of the pain we usually ignore in our daily rush.

8. What are “green wars”?

Ans: “Green wars” refer to conflicts that harm the environment, such as deforestation and pollution. These are
modern, silent wars against nature.

9. What is meant by “victory with no survivors”?

Ans: It refers to wars so destructive that even the winners suffer. There is no real triumph if everyone loses life,
peace, or happiness.

10. What change does the poet expect in war-makers?

 Ans: He imagines them abandoning violence, putting on clean clothes, and walking peacefully with others. It is a call
for brotherhood and harmony.

11. What does the poet mean by “doing nothing”?

Ans: By “doing nothing,” the poet suggests a pause from all busy, destructive, or selfish actions. This stillness is not
laziness, but a mindful break to reconnect with nature and others peacefully.

12. How does silence help in introspection?

Ans: Silence creates space for deep thought. It allows individuals to reflect on their lives, actions, and emotions,
leading to greater self-awareness and inner peace.

13. What is the message behind the salt-gatherer looking at his hands?

Ans: The image shows a man pausing from his labor to notice his wounds. It reflects the poet’s call to acknowledge
human suffering and rethink the cost of endless work.

14. Why does the poet say life is what it is about?

Ans: He reminds us that life itself — with love, peace, and reflection — is the true purpose. War, greed, and
aggression distract us from this deeper meaning of existence.

15. What tone does the poet use in the poem?

Ans: The poet uses a calm, persuasive, and reflective tone. He gently invites the reader to pause and consider how a
moment of silence can lead to universal harmony.

Extract-Based Questions

Extract 1:

Now we will count to twelve

and we will all keep still.

1. What is the significance of the number ‘twelve’ in this line?

Ans: The number twelve symbolizes the twelve hours on a clock or the twelve months in a year, representing time,
unity, and universality.

2. What does the poet want all to do after counting to twelve?

Ans: The poet wants everyone to remain still and silent to reflect on themselves and the world around them.

3. What is the tone of the poet in this extract?

Ans: The tone is calm, meditative, and persuasive.

Extract 2:

It would be an exotic moment

without rush, without engines;

we would all be together

in a sudden strangeness.

1. What kind of moment does the poet call ‘exotic’?

 Ans: A moment of complete silence and stillness, free from noise and rush, is considered ‘exotic’ or unusual.

2. What does ‘sudden strangeness’ imply?

Ans: It refers to the unfamiliar experience of silence and unity in a noisy and busy world.

3. What will be absent during this exotic moment?

Ans: Rush and mechanical noises (like engines) will be absent.

Extract 3:

Fishermen in the cold sea

would not harm whales

and the man gathering salt

would look at his hurt hands.

1. What kind of harm is being referred to here?

Ans: The environmental and physical harm caused by humans, such as killing whales and self-exploitation.

2. What change does the poet expect from the fishermen and salt gatherers?

Ans: He wants them to stop harming nature and reflect on their suffering and actions.

3. What value is highlighted through this extract?

Ans: The value of compassion, self-awareness, and environmental consciousness.

Extract 4:

Perhaps the Earth can teach us

as when everything seems dead

and later proves to be alive.

1. What lesson does the poet suggest the Earth teaches us?

Ans: The Earth teaches us that silence and stillness are not signs of death but of renewal and rebirth.

2. What does the poet imply by “everything seems dead”?

Ans: It refers to times of stillness, like winter, when life is hidden but not gone—life resumes later.

2. What poetic device is used in “Perhaps the Earth can teach us”?

Ans: Personification—Earth is given the human ability to teach.

Value-Based Questions

1. What human values does the poem Keeping Quiet promote?

Ans: The poem promotes values of peace, introspection, unity, empathy, non-violence, and environmental care.

2. How does the poem encourage harmony and coexistence?

 Ans: By advocating silence and reflection, it promotes mutual understanding and encourages people to recognize their
interconnectedness.

3. How does keeping quiet help in reducing conflicts and violence in the world?

Ans: Silence gives us time to think before acting impulsively, helping prevent violence and fostering peaceful

coexistence.

4. How can we apply the message of this poem in our daily lives?

Ans: By practicing mindfulness, avoiding harm to others and nature, and making time for reflection before action.

Long Answer Questions

1. What is the central idea of the poem “Keeping Quiet”?

The central idea of Pablo Neruda’s poem “Keeping Quiet” revolves around the need for introspection, unity, and peace
in a world consumed by constant activity and conflict. The poet urges all people to stop for a brief moment—to remain
still, silent, and motionless—not as an act of inactivity, but as a powerful gesture to reflect on our lives, actions, and
their consequences.

Through this temporary pause, the poet believes that people will develop a greater understanding of themselves and
others, fostering a sense of unity beyond borders, language, or race. He uses examples like fishermen not harming
whales and salt-gatherers noticing their wounds to show how silence and reflection can lead to compassion for both
nature and humanity. The poem also criticizes wars and violence, suggesting that even war-makers might reconsider
their actions if they pause to reflect.

Neruda is not asking for permanent silence or death-like inactivity; instead, he wants a mindful break from our
destructive routines. His message is deeply humanistic — promoting peace, harmony, and the realization that true
living means connecting with life, not destroying it.

2. How does the poet use imagery and poetic devices to convey his message in “Keeping Quiet”?

In “Keeping Quiet,” Pablo Neruda skillfully uses vivid imagery and poetic devices to enhance the impact of his
message. Through simple yet evocative language, he paints a world where silence and stillness can heal both human
hearts and the planet. The poem opens with a universal appeal: “let’s not speak in any language,” encouraging unity
by eliminating linguistic and cultural divisions. This line uses inclusive language (“let’s”) to build a collective voice.

Imagery is a powerful tool throughout the poem. For example, “fishermen in the cold sea / would not harm whales”
conjures a peaceful vision of humans choosing to protect rather than exploit nature. The image of the man “gathering
salt” who looks at his “hurt hands” symbolizes human suffering and the need for self-awareness. These concrete
images connect the reader emotionally to the abstract ideas of peace and reflection.

Neruda also employs anaphora (repetition of “without” in “without rush, without engines”) to emphasize the absence
of modern chaos. The paradox in “victory with no survivors” powerfully critiques the futility of war. Moreover,
symbolism runs deep—“clean clothes” represent purity and a fresh start; “shade” suggests rest and peace.

The poem’s calm, meditative tone reinforces its message, while the free verse structure allows Neruda’s thoughts to
flow naturally, mirroring the stillness he advocates. Overall, these literary techniques make the poem not just a plea
for quietness but a compelling vision for a better, more compassionate world.

3. Critical Appreciation of the Poem “Keeping Quiet”

Pablo Neruda’s *“Keeping Quiet”* is a profound and philosophical poem that uses the motif of silence to advocate
for introspection, environmental awareness, and universal peace. The poem transcends its simple language to
communicate a deeper truth about the human condition and the urgent need to pause and reflect amidst a chaotic and
destructive world.

At its core, the poem is a political and spiritual plea. Neruda begins with a calm request to count to twelve and keep
still. This symbolic pause acts as a metaphor for self-awareness and collective harmony. The stillness is not meant to
be passive but rather a transformative space where one detaches from routine and violence to reconnect with
humanity and nature.

Neruda challenges modern society’s obsession with progress, consumption, and conquest. He presents vivid images
of “fishermen not harming whales” and “salt gatherers looking at their hurt hands,” which represent how unchecked
human activity has wounded both nature and mankind. These images are powerful critiques of ecological destruction
and human alienation from meaningful existence.

The poem also contains subtle anti-war sentiments. Phrases like “victory with no survivors” and the vision of “men
in clean clothes” abandoning arms suggest that the poet envisions a world without violence, where peace replaces
power struggles. The act of keeping quiet becomes a symbolic protest against war, environmental destruction, and
the loss of human connection.

Stylistically, Neruda uses free verse, which allows for a meditative rhythm and conversational tone. The repetition,
alliteration, and paradoxes (“perhaps the Earth can teach us...”) reinforce the theme of duality between action and
reflection. The tone remains persuasive yet gentle, inviting the reader rather than commanding them.

In conclusion, “Keeping Quiet” is not merely a call for silence—it is a visionary poem that urges humanity to
reconsider its values and embrace a deeper sense of responsibility and empathy. Neruda’s message is timeless,
offering hope that stillness can lead to understanding, and that reflection can lead to transformation.