CBSE Class 12 English Keeping Quiet Notes Set B

About The Poet

Pablo Neruda (July 1904 – September 1973) was from Spain. He was known as a poet when he was 10 years old. He wrote in a variety of styles including poems, historical epics, political manifestos and autobiography. He got the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971.

Summary

The poet wants each one of us to practice silence and feel the power of silence. He says that all of us should count to twelve and then be quiet, silent and motionless so that for once no language will be spoken on the surface of the Earth. In this moment of silence, poet doesn’t want anyone to even move their arms.

Again the poet reinforces his call not to take a step further, move nor speak. The appeal to not speak in any language is symbolic of asking people to only speak the language of silence. This will give us an opportunity to gather on one platform and introspect. The appeal of not moving arms is made so that we must not move or speak but stay at one place and introspect. He wants people to let their thoughts flow without any hurry or rush. He emphasises on the fact that if for once everyone goes silent it will be a different feeling or a different experience to see the world come to a halt, where everything stops, and everyone comes together in strangeness, a sudden moment of inactivity, which the world has not observed before. When this moment of silence will be observed then fishermen will not be catching fish and the whales in the cold water will be safe.

This suggests that the destruction of nature by human will also stop, even if for a brief moment. He says that a man who goes out to collect salt will also get time to tend their wounded hands and look after them which otherwise would have not been possible for him. Then the poet refers to wars and those that participate in it as now there is some time to breathe in and out, without being required to do what is usually done or blindly follow orders. Everyone will be able to introspect and realise that in wars there are no real winners. This is what is inferred from ‘put on clean clothes’.

The act of putting on new clothes can be seen as taking a different role or adopting a different persona. They would be building mutual trust and brotherhood. In that moment of silence humanity would experience complete harmony. The poet says that the silence should not be confused with human inactivity or death. What he is trying to propagate is selflessness and stopping acts to meet one’s selfish ends. They should not focus on their lives streaming smoothly but also take a step back and introspect. They will be able to understand themselves and know what they want in life.

When one cannot understand their inner self, their hearts are filled with sadness. Also when we threaten ourselves from death, this moment of silence helps us to listen to our inner self. The poet states that the Earth teaches us that after the end of each process starts a new beginning on one hand, winters make us experience the dormant state of life, whereas, the onset of spring sees the blossoming of new life. Similarly, the peace one will feel in the moment of silence would eradicate all evil thoughts and will initiate a new thought process of positivity. There will be no frenzy to work without a break.

We must not only live in harmony with each other but also with the elements of nature. The poet asks to contemplate and think through to achieve brotherhood and understanding. So, the poet starts the process with self. He counts till twelve and goes silent.