CBSE Class 12 English HOTs Keeping Quiet Set 03

Question. What does the title of the poem suggest to you? What do you think the poem is about?
Answer: The title of the poem suggests the importance of silence. The poem is about the importance of quiet introspection for all. Our speech and activities often bring about trouble and suffering, so they need to be controlled.

Question. What will counting upto twelve and keeping still help us achieve?
or
Why does Pablo Neruda want us to count till twelve and keep still?
or
What will keeping still help us achieve? (Keeping Quiet)
Answer: Counting up to twelve and keeping still will help us to get some time to stop all our normal activities and self-introspect our actions, helping us change our destructive ways and promote brotherhood among men.

Question. Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death?
Answer: No, the poet does not advocate total inactivity and death. He clarifies that he has no truck with death. According to him, life is meant to be lived to the fullest. He just wants the inhuman and destructive activities to stop.

Question. What is the 'sadness' that the poet refers to in the poem?
Answer: The poet refers to the sadness that arises from the failure to understand ourselves. Today, we are so engrossed in achieving materialistic success that we have no time to introspect about our actions and their consequences. Hence, we often end up hurting ourselves, and it results in sadness.

Question. What symbol from nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under apparent stillness?
Answer: The poet uses nature as a symbol to explain his idea that there can be life under apparent stillness. An example from nature is the Earth itself, as, when everything seems dead, it later proves to be alive.

EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS

“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.”

Question. What is poet's request to the readers here?
(a) To keep still
(b) Count up to twelve
(c) To gel into a sleep mode
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer: (d) Both (a) and (b)

Question. What does the expression "not speak in any language" suggests?
(a) People all over the world
(b) Speaking different languages
(c) Maintain calm and remain quiet
(d) All of the options
Answer: (d) All of the options

Question. What does the poet hope to achieve by keeping quiet?
(a) Get some rest from busy schedule
(b) Get an opportunity to introspect
(c) To get a feeling of togetherness
(d) Both (b) and (c)
Answer: (d) Both (b) and (c)

Question. What does the poet wants us "not to move our arms"?
(a) Introspection requires stillness, no physical activity
(b) Physical activity interferes in the mind's process
(c) It also means stopping all kinds of violence
(d) Both (a) and (c)
Answer: (d) Both (a) and (c)

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

Question. Which moment has been described as exotic?
(a) When everyone is still and quiet
(b) When everyone is praying
(c) When everyone is pleading others to be quiet
(d) Listening to the poet
Answer: (a) When everyone is still and quiet

Question. Why, according to the poet, the moment will be exotic?
(a) It will initiate non-violence
(b) It will foster peace and brotherhood
(c) As it will be something extraordinary
(d) All of the options
Answer: (b) It will foster peace and brotherhood

Question. Explain : 'Without rush, without engines'.
(a) Presently everyone seems to be in a hurry
(b) Mad noise of engines coming from different types of vehicles
(c) Everyone is involved in multiple activities to for material gains
(d) All of the options
Answer: (d) All of the options

Question. Which figure of speech is used in the last lines of the stanza?
(a) Metaphor
(b) Personification
(c) Alliteration
(d) Simile
Answer: (c) Alliteration

“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. The types of war the poet talks about are
(a) Nuclear wars
(b) Technological warfare
(c) Verbal war
(d) Green wars, wars with gas or fire
Answer: (d) Green wars, wars with gas or fire

Question. What does the poet mean by 'Green Wars'?
(a) Chemical war
(b) War with firearms
(c) War against environment
(d) Wars against nature
Answer: (c) War against environment

Question. Explain the phrase : "Victory with No Survivors".
(a) Celebrating victory
(b) Due to mass deaths no one is left to celebrate victory
(c) Huge loss of human life
(d) Huge loss of property
Answer: (b) Due to mass deaths no one is left to celebrate victory

Question. What does the expression "put on clean clothes" imply?
(a) Leave the evil ways
(b) To make peace with fellow human beings
(c) Attend a conference in decent clothes
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer: (d) Both (a) and (b)

“Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would look at his hurt hands.”

Question. What does the poet expect of the fisherman?
(a) To stop going to sea
(b) Due to introspection he abandons killing whales
(c) Not harm any sea creature
(d) To still and do nothing
Answer: (b) Due to introspection he abandons killing whales

Question. How 'Keeping Quiet' is going to help the man who works as 'Salt gatherer'?
(a) He will get time to take care of his wounded hands
(b) He will not work as 'salt gatherer'
(c) He will introspect about the type of work he does
(d) None of the options
Answer: (a) He will get time to take care of his wounded hands

Question. What does the expression 'hurt hands' imply?
(a) Destruction that humans have caused to themselves
(b) Destruction caused to environment in pursuit of man's selfish needs
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) None of the options
Answer: (c) Both (a) and (b)

Question. What figure of speech has been used in the first line of the stanza or in words 'Cold Sea'?
(a) Metaphor
(b) Personification
(c) Transferred Epithet
(d) Simile
Answer: (c) Transferred Epithet

“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.”

Question. What does the expression 'Single-minded' here refer to?
(a) Humans only worried about themselves
(b) Whole-heartedly involved in material pursuits
(c) Totally workaholic
(d) No time to analyse our own action
Answer: (b) Whole-heartedly involved in material pursuits

Question. Why does the poet want us to 'do nothing' for once?
(a) To put our mind at peace
(b) Introspect and self-introspect
(c) Give time to others
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer: (d) Both (a) and (b)

Question. What is the 'Sadness' that the poet refers to in the poem?
(a) Sad due to inactivity
(b) Sad to be together
(c) Sad due to not understanding oneself
(d) Sad to be controlled by others
Answer: (c) Sad due to not understanding oneself

Question. How can 'huge silence' help human beings?
(a) Everyone is quiet for few moments
(b) People at peace to analyse their deeds and misdeeds
(c) Get time to introspect and judge their actions
(d) All of the options
Answer: (d) All of the options

“What I want should not be
confused with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.”

Question. About which confusion the poet is referring to here?
(a) Keeping still means total inactivity
(b) Introspect for sometime while being active
(c) Stillness and keeping quiet for some time does not mean end of everything
(d) All of the options
Answer: (a) Keeping still means total inactivity

Question. What is life about according to the poet?
(a) Living it gainfully
(b) Living a hectic life with no time for anything else
(c) Multiple activities to earn as much money as possible
(d) Gainfully occupied with time to analyse and introspect
Answer: (d) Gainfully occupied with time to analyse and introspect

Question. What should not be confused with 'total unproductivity'?
(a) Putting on clean clothes
(b) Stopping wars
(c) Practicising to keep still and quiet
(d) Relaxing for a while
Answer: (c) Practicising to keep still and quiet

Question. Explain : 'No truck with death'.
(a) Inactivity mean death
(b) No association with death as life is to be lived fully
(c) Stillness and inactivity for few minutes in different from death
(d) Both (b) and (c)
Answer: (d) Both (b) and (c)

“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”.

Question. What does the Earth teach us?
(a) Stillness not equal to death
(b) There is life under apparent stillness
(c) We can still be alive and kicking though maiming stillness for few moments
(d) Both (b) and (c)
Answer: (d) Both (b) and (c)

Question. What is the significance of 'Keeping Quiet'?
(a) Very peaceful atmosphere
(b) No involvement in harmful activities
(c) Establishing peaceful coexistence
(d) All of the options
Answer: (d) All of the options

Question. The poet uses conversational style and personal pronouns or 'you', 'we' and 'I' because
(a) he wants to establish contacts easily
(b) third person talking is ineffective
(c) he tries to reach out to the readers
(d) he wants us to be friendly with whole mankind
Answer: (d) he wants us to be friendly with whole mankind

Question. Which poetic device has been used in second line?
(a) Imagery
(b) Irony
(c) Paradox
(d) Transferred epithet
Answer: (d) Transferred epithet

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question. Which is the exotic moment that the poet refers to in ‘Keeping Quiet’?
Answer: The poet refers to the moment of stillness and quietness as an exotic moment because it will initiate peace and brotherhood. There would be no movement, no talk, no activity and consequently, no violence.

Question. Why does one feel 'a sudden strangeness' on counting to twelve and keeping quiet?
Answer: Normally people are active and sounds of machines are heard. When we keep quiet and introspect, it will be a strange and unfamiliar moment; thus, we will feel 'a sudden strangeness' at this moment.

Question. How would keeping quiet affect life in and around the sea?
Answer: Keeping quiet would affect life in and around the sea in two ways. By keeping quiet, the fisherman will not kill whales for some time. Also, the salt gatherers will get some time to heal their hurt hands.

Question. How will ’keeping quiet’ protect our environment?
Answer: Keeping quiet and introspecting will initiate peace and brotherhood among men, halting all destructive activities like waging wars which harm people besides damaging the environment. Thus, the environment will be protected.

Question. What are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the poem? What is Neruda's attitude towards these wars?
Answer: The poet writes about wars against humanity and nature. Green wars, wars with poisonous gases and wars with fire are the kinds of wars mentioned in the poem. Neruda's attitude towards war is one of rejection. He feels that such wars may bring victory but there are no survivors to celebrate the victory.

Question. Which images in the poem 'Keeping Quiet’ show that the poet condemns violence?
Answer: The images of fishermen not harming the whales in the sea and wars leaving behind no survivors to celebrate victory show that the poet condemns violence. The poet's refusal to have any association or dealings with death also shows that he is not in favour of any form of violence.

Question. What will possibly be the effect of keeping quiet?
or
How, according to Neruda, can keeping quiet change our attitude to life?
Answer: Keeping quiet will help us to introspect on our destructive actions like waging wars or otherwise harming the environment. This will give us a better idea of the consequences of the actions, thus changing our attitude to life.

Question. 'Life is what it is all about'. How is keeping quiet related to life?
Answer: Keeping quiet does not mean complete inactivity, but stillness and quietness to introspect on what we are doing. This means stopping our normal day-to-day activities to reflect on our actions. Thus it is related to life, although this may not be visible outwardly.

Question. How can suspension of activities help?
Answer: Suspension of activities will give people time to introspect and analyse their actions. This will help them in solving their problems and conflicts. They will develop a new understanding and hence will mend their destructive ways.

Question. According to the poet, what is it that human beings can learn from nature?
Answer: Life under apparent stillness is the message which human beings can learn from nature. The Earth is never in a state of total inactivity. Nature continues to breathe and work even when there is stillness all around.

Question. How is the Earth a source of life when all seems dead on it?
or
How is total inactivity on the Earth in the winter months full of life?
Answer: In the poem 'Keeping Quiet' the Earth is a source of life because it is never in a state of total inactivity even when there is silence all around. Nature continues to work even when everything is still and silent.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question. Analyse the importance of the dramatic count to twelve in 'Keeping Quiet.'
Answer: The poem opens with the poet's appeal to begin with a count to twelve followed by a moment of silence. The poet links silence with hope for a moment of togetherness. The repetition of the poet's request to count to twelve in the first and the last stanzas creates a personal space of silence in the poem. The poet seeks this moment of silence as a moment to introspect and meditate, to share a feeling of oneness. The poet wishes that in this selected moment, the fishermen would not kill the whales and the men gathering salt would give rest to their injured hands. The threat of destruction of the world would come to a halt. In this chosen moment we would have time for self assessment. The number 'twelve' is dramatically significant to represent our clock time, a moment in real life.

Question. How is the poet's appeal for keeping quiet different from absolute sluggishness?
Answer: The poet, in his appeal for keeping quiet, emphasises the importance of self-introspection in a man's life. He urges us to seek a moment to understand ourselves and analyse our actions as we experience the sadness of death. The poet's appeal for a moment of silence or stillness should not be mistaken as a plea, as a moment of inactivity or absolute sluggishness. He seeks a silence where people are not obsessed with work and give a personal moment to think about their actions. This moment of silence will help them to overcome their woes and defects. The poet even feels that the Earth will enlighten men in this process, as silence is only a moment captured where there is activity under apparent stillness.

Question. Analyse the poetic devices that the poet adopts in the poem.
Answer: The poet has incorporated the use of repetition in the line 'let's not speak' and 'let's stop for one second' to create the poetic effect of emphasis on his readers. Even the phrases 'count to twelve' and 'count up to twelve' are symbolic, as the poet repeats his request to keep quiet for a second time. The word 'twelve' symbolises a measure of time representing our clock time in real life, capturing a moment from our present time. The phrases 'hurt hands' and 'clean clothes' are examples of alliteration. Man will cleanse his soul, heart and mind in the process. The word 'brothers' here implies brotherhood and a synecdoche is used by using a concrete object instead of an abstract concept. There is use of metaphor in 'put on clean clothes', as the poet wants the warmongers to shed their blood-soiled clothes (meaning, stop wars) and put on fresh clothes (meaning, follow brotherhood).

Question. What kind of an imaginary and ideal world does the poet visualise?
Answer: The poet longs for a calm, quiet and peaceful world, devoid of all forms of violence, as he visualises 'togetherness' of the people in a moment of silence and peace. According to the poet, this moment will give us time in silence for self-introspection, when we can spiritually attain our moral self through a moment of meditation. This moment will bring an end to all destructive activities in the world. The fishermen will not be killing whales and the men gathering salt will have time to rest their injured hands. Environmental degradation will come to an end. The warmongers will be silenced in a moment of brotherhood to meditate and cleanse their souls. The poet hopes that it will be an ideal world where man will be able to come out from his self-centred attitude to gain moral peace.