CBSE Class 12 English Flamingo Keeping Quiet Pablo Neruda Assignment

About the Poet: Columbian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez called Pablo Neruda, the greatest poet of the 20th century of any language. Pablo Neruda always wrote with green ink which according to him was the colour of hope. He appeals to readers to take some time out of their busy lives for introspection and retrospection. The aim is to return to our routines with renewed vigour and awareness of ourselves and our actions. 

Theme: In this deceptively simple poem, the poet has emphasized the need to introspect and bring in the spirit of brotherhood among the people of the world. 

Values: Introspection, retrospection, universal brotherhood, sensitivity to the environment, peace, empathy, unity etc. 

Title: The title is very appropriate as the poem celebrates the necessity of quiet introspection and silence. This moment of silence will act as an antidote to war, violence, hatred, exploitation and turmoil. By keeping quiet, mankind can try to understand itself and stop harming himself and others with death and destruction. 

Understanding the Poem: Neruda begins by asking everyone to count to twelve and keep still. These twelve seconds would help everyone calm themselves and relax and be ready to begin introspection or retrospection. He wants people to break the barriers of communication and speak no language at all for a few minutes. These moments of silence would be unique and enticing because in our mundane life, we are constantly working towards selfish goals and never take the time to reflect. This sudden silence would give us an opportunity to introspect and unite humanity. We would all perform this activity together. Since we would not speak for a while, barriers between communities would break and a sense of brotherhood would prevail. 

Man would get an opportunity to realize how he is destroying nature and harming himself in the process. The fishermen that harm aquatic life would realize how nature brings them a cold reception. The man who gathers salt from the sea would realize that nature retaliates by turning his hands rough. In this silence, futile wars against men and nature would be arrested and a new feeling of unity would be experienced. Those who plan and implement bio warfare and nuclear weaponry should, for once, shed their old attire (profession and preoccupations) and put on clean clothes to walk among their fellow men. They must use this time to truly witness what they would destroy with their attempts to achieve a fruitless victory. Such a win leaves no survivors because even if they were physically alive, they would be emotionally dead and eventually, mankind will perish.  

The war will be a victory of scientific knowledge but there will be no survivors left. The poet does not want his desire for inactivity to be misunderstood as a state of uselessness or death. He knows and accepts life as it is. He accepts the rush, the noise and even the belligerent attitudes. He says he does not begrudge death or want anything to do with it. He does not want people to be like dead, doing nothing, forever. All he wants is that everyone should take out just a few moments from their busy lives for themselves and for the natural world around them. 

He feels that if men were not so determined to keep lives moving all the time, the ensuing silence would interrupt sadness that has become so much a part of us that we do not even notice it. This sadness comes from not knowing oneself and always trying to achieve everything possible at the earliest, out of an illogical fear of impending death. He wants men to learn a lesson from the Earth. The Earth appears to be inactive yet it is constantly and selflessly productive. The natural world seems omnipresent without being ostentatious and hence, is taken for granted. After the cold inactive unproductive winter, spring arrives with bounty and vivacity. Men too could be productive and progressive without any aggression, selfishness and the urge for destruction. They could care for nature as it cares for them. They could, after eons of selfish actions, bring back a degree of nobility, thoughtful attitudes and universal brotherhood.

Explanations:-

Now we will count…… all keep still: The poet through this expression commences the session of introspection and meditation. The poet feels that if for once we will keep quiet and still, it will provide us an opportunity to introspect on our follies. Twelve is indicative of the twelve signs to measure hours on the clock.

For once …… our arms so much: Language breeds discrimination, and linguistic chauvinism breeds domination and racial prejudice. The poet feels that if for some time no one spoke on the face of the Earth, all this misunderstanding and mistrust will wither away in the depth of silence.

Man is a victim of his own doing. Much of the unrest faced in the world is a repercussion of man’s so-called progressive activities. Therefore if man’s activities come to a standstill for a while and if man stops moving his arms too much, peace and tranquillity will prevail in the world

It would be an exotic ……. sudden strangeness: This moment of silence, according to Pablo Neruda would be a moment of immense world peace, universal brotherhood and love that will be created through introspection and silence. In the modern competitive world there is a rat-race to outshine others. The phrases ‘without rush, without engines’ are symbolic of the humdrum of modern life. Life can be peaceful only if this thoughtless advancement is stopped. This exotic moment of silence will help build a sudden and strange
feeling of universal brotherhood. This feeling of togetherness is new and inexplicable. It will turn out to be a blessing for mankind.

Fishermen in the cold ……..his hurt hands: This moment of quietude will help man realize the harm he has been causing to others and to himself. The fishermen are symbolic of man’s indiscriminate exploitation of nature for his vested interests. And when fishermen do not harm the whales they will no longer be on the verge of extinction. The men, who gather salt, have no time to reflect on the pain they are causing to their hands and to themselves. In his efforts to add comforts to his life man has paid little heed to the pain he has been causing himself.

Those who prepare ……..doing nothing: The word ‘those’ refers to the politicians, statesmen and the scientists who are involved in initiating and aggravating wars. The wars that are waged by man include wars against Nature which is caused by pollution and the chemical and nuclear weapons created by man which have caused his own annihilation. The war which man is waging against Nature will one day convert this ‘living planet’ into a dead one and humans themselves will become an extinct species. The result of the war
may be indicative of man’s achievement and scientific knowledge, but there would be no survivors to celebrate this victory.

Men would put on clean clothes and for some time would reflect inwardly realizing the strength of humanity and also become conscious of universal brotherhood. His destructive activities will come to a standstill and this will provide a healing touch for mankind.

What I want …………truck with death: The poet clarifies to the readers that he does not want ‘total inactivity’. By this he implies a phase of complete stagnation when no activity will take place on the face of the earth. This is not what he advocates. What he wants man to do is to stop all his destructive activities for a while and analyse their consequences and not become inactive and bring life to a standstill. Man should continue with his positive an d constructive activities that are for the betterment of mankind.

Lie is an on-going process and we need to be a part of the flow. If we stagnate than it would not be worth living. The phrase ‘want no truck with death’ means that he refuses to associate with death or would not bring life to a dead end by such inactivity.

If we were not so ………. ourselves with death: Man has become so single- minded that he is concerned only about the scientific progress and advancement. He has not stopped to pay heed to the pros and cons of this reckless progress and moves ahead without any thought about the consequences. His selfish nature is worried about keeping ‘our lives moving’, which means that man leads a mechanized and busy life. Man, in his race towards materialism has sacrificed the fulfilment of his emotional needs and thus has become sad and isolated. The psychological problems faced by man are because he has not cared to satisfy his emotional needs. He has failed to even realize that his unthinking progress has brought him on the verge of extinction.
The huge silence that results out of this introspection advocated by Neruda will interrupt this sadness making man understand the need for peace and harmony in this world.

Perhaps the Earth ……..keep quiet and I will go: The Earth can teach us the lesson of preserving and resurrecting life. Shelley clearly points out in his ‘Ode to the West Wind’ that the West Wind is both a preserver and destroyer. It preserves the dead seeds in their dark wintry beds till spring comes and conducive weather conditions help the seeds to procreate new life. Pablo Neruda also emphasizes the same point in these few lines. The things which apparently seem dead in Nature prove to be alive later.

The counting is then a part of meditation asking man to experience those exotic moments of silence which will create a rejuvenation of thoughts and a transition of our mind-set. He himself departs leaving the meditator in silence.

Multiple Choice Questions

Question. The poet appeals to the readers to keep quiet for
(a) twenty seconds
(b) one hour
(c) thirty seconds
(d) twelve seconds

Answer : D

Question. What can human beings learn from nature?
(a) beauty
(b) keeping quiet
(c) working with silence
(d) to be happy

Answer : C

Question. Why is the poet asking everyone not to speak any language?
(a) to avoid noise
(b) to avoid conflicts
(c) to avoid people
(d) to avoid loud voices

Answer : B

Question. What does the poet want people to do for one second?
(a) to sing
(b)to close eyes
(c) to stand quietly
(d) to be silent and motionless

Answer : D

Question. What will happen if there are no engines and no crowd?
(a) no mechanical noise
(b) no crowd on roads
(c) no traffic rush
(d) all of the above

Answer : D

Question. What would everyone feel at that exotic moment?
(a) happy
(b) content
(c)dancing
(d) strange blissful oneness

Answer : D

Question. How will silence benefit the man and nature?
(a) man will stop hurting nature and both will heal themselves
(b) both will be friends
(c) man will know nature better
(d) man will be healthy

Answer : A

Question. Fishermen in the cold sea would not harm……..
(a) seahorses
(b) whales
(c) mermaids
(d) dolphins

Answer : B

Question. Where would they be walking?
(a) on the road
(b) in the park
(c) in the shade
(d) along the river

Answer : C

Question. The types of wars the poet talks about are
(a) green wars, wars with gas, wars with fire
(b) nuclear wars
(c) verbal wars
(d) technological wars

Answer : A

Question. What should not be confused with total inactivity or death?
(a) no movement
(b) a statue
(c) talking people
(d) stillness and silence

Answer : D

Question. What does the title of the poem suggest?
(a) inactivity
(b) maintenance of silence
(c) noise
(d) unhappiness

Answer : B

Question. What is always alive even when everything seems to be dead or still?
(a) mountains
(b) sun
(c) earth or nature are always alive
(d) universe

Answer : C

Question. What does man threaten himself with?
(a) death
(b) birth
(c) suicide
(d) life

Answer : A

Question. Which poetic device is used in the phrase “Cold sea” ?
(a) personification
(b) transferred epithet
(c) metaphor
(d) alliteration

Answer : B

Extract Based MCQs :

1. Now I 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.

Question. ‘arms’ here refers to
(a) Weapons
(b) Weapons and fighting with arms
(c) Strong arms
(d) None of the above

Answer: B

Question. What does 'still' mean here
(a) To introspect
(b) To keep quiet
(c) Not to do any work
(d) Not to talk

Answer: A

Question. The poet appeals to the readers to keep quiet for
(a) 12 seconds
(b) 1 hour
(c) 30 seconds
(d) 24 minutes

Answer: A

Question. He advises the people not to speak
(a) French
(b) Spanish
(c) cany language
(d) English

Answer: C

2. It would be an exotic moment
Without rush, without engines,
We would all be together
In a sudden strangeness

Question. Why does the poet wish to be without 'rush or engines'
(a) one would get time to self-introspect ones's own activities
(b) one would think of others activities
(c) calmness in one's life
(d) strangeness in one's life

Answer: A

Question. What kind of moment would it be when everyone is silent
(a) terrible
(b) Painful
(c) Unusual
(d) unforgettable

Answer: C

Question. What does 'sudden strangeness' mean
(a) to build a feeling of universal brotherhood
(b) to build a law of quietness
(c) to be safe
(d) none of the above

Answer: A

Question. 'sudden strangeness', is one of the following poetic devices
(a) Simile
(b) Personification
(c) Alliteration
(d) Repetition

Answer: C

3.'fisherman in cold sea would not harm
Would not harm whales
And the man gathering salt Would look at his hurt hands.

Question. Why has the poet mentioned Whales and not fishes?
(a) Fishes are staple food for the coastal people
(b) Whales are attacked for Commercial purpose
(c) Whales are endangered species
(d) All of the above

Answer: B

Question. Who are the two professional the poet is mentioning here to self -introspect?
(a) Fisherman and salt gatherer
(b) Fisherman and salt
(c) Fishes and salt
(d) Fishes and whale

Answer: A

Question. Why has the poet mentioned 'whales'?
(a) Whales are attacked for Luxury & commercial purpose
(b) Whales are in the mid sea
(c) Whales are huge and not afraid of men
(d) Whales are good fishes

Answer: A

Question. Why has the poet mentioned the 'hurt hands'?
(a) The man is not noticing his hurt hands
(b) The man does not have time to do so
(c) The man will have time to introspect on himself
(d) All of the above

Answer: C

4. 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.

Question. What does the poet mean by ' clean clothes' ?
(a) proving that they are right in their action
(b) proving that they only can be victorious
(c) have clean clothes to wear
(d) had got the clothes cleaned after dirt

Answer: A

Question. Why does the poet mention 'in the shade, doing nothing'?
(a) The people who had been responsible for the war
(b) The people are left alone to celebrate the victory
(c) The people are quiet and not bothered about others' lives
(d) All of the above

Answer: C

Question. What types of War the poet is talking about?
(a) green war, wars with gas & war with fire
(b) technological warfare
(c) Environmental war
(d) Nuclear war

Answer: A

Question. What does 'victory with no survivors' mean?
(a) no survivors will be left to celebrate the victory
(b) survivors only victorious
(c) All victorious people celebrate
(d) All the people are victorious

Answer: A

5. Life is what it is about:
I want no truck with death.

Question. What is life according to the poet?
(a) Be productive that gives us happiness
(b) Attack others and live life
(c) Be victorious by defeating others
(d) Not maintain Universal brotherhood

Answer: A

Question. What does the poet advocate?
(a) Self-introspection on ones' own activity
(b) Self-introspection
(c) Universal brotherhood
(d) Attack and be victorious

Answer: B

Question. Who is the poet?
(a) Pablo Neruda
(b) John Keats
(c) Kamala Das
(d) Pablo Neruda

Answer: D

Question. What does the poet mean by 'have no truck with death'?
(a) I have no association or deal death
(b) I will not die in the truck accident
(c) Remove the poverty and illiteracy
(d) Will not drive a truck in the end

Answer: A

Important Questions NCERT Class 12 English Flamingo Poetry 3 Keeping Quiet 

Question. Which images in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ show that the poem condemns violence?
Answer :  “Fishermen not harming Whales”, “Wars with gas”, “ Wars with fire”, “Victory with no survivors”, images in the poem, ‘Keeping Quiet” show that the poet condemns violence.

Question. According to the poet, what is it that human beings can learn from nature?
Answer : According to the poet, the human beings can learn emergence of new life, uninterrupted, even in stillness. They can also learn to be productive and constructive from nature.

Question. ‘Life is what it is all about, ....’ How is keeping quiet related to life?
Answer : Keeping quiet must not be confused with total inactivity. Take the example of earth, how it seems still yet, it nurtures life under apparent stillness. This is how keeping quite is related to life.

Question. 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 is the significance of the number ‘twelve’?
Answer : The number twelve represents the twelve hours marks on the clock to measure time.

(b) Which two activities does the poet want us to stop?
Answer : The poet wants us to not speak in any language and stop for one second and not move our hands so much.

(c) What does the poet mean by ‘let’s not speak in any language’?
Answer : The poet means that different languages symbolises difference. Keeping silent will ensure peace and give one the chance to introspect.

(d) Describe the pun in the word, ‘arms’.
Answer : The word ‘arms’ in the extract refers to both the hands and weapons.

Question. It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.

(a) What does ‘it’ refer to?
Answer : The word ‘it’ refers to keeping quiet.

(b) Who is the poet speaking to?
Answer : The poet is speaking to us, the mankind.

(c) What would be the moment like?
Answer : It would be an exotic moment. There would be stillness and togetherness in that moment, promoting harmony and brotherhood.

Question. What is the sadness the poet refers to in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’?
Answer : The poet refers to the ‘sadness’ of failing to understand nature and oneself in the monotonous everyday existence. He also finds it sad that the humanity is moving towards its own ruin, owing to its unanalysed actions. He regrets the rush of outdoing others that has made one forget the values of humanity.

Question. 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.

(a) Whom does ‘we’ refer to in the above lines?
Answer : ‘We’ in the above lines refers to the people of the world.

(b) Why does the poet want us to ‘do nothing’ for once?
Answer : The poet wants us to ‘do nothing’ for once because he wants us to stop and introspect and in the process take stock of our actions.

(c) What is the ‘Sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem?
Answer : Sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem is the due to causing so much destruction to the world and people.