About the poet
Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) is the pen name of Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto who was born in the town of Parral in Chile. Neruda’s poems are full of easily understood images which make them no less beautiful. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in the year 1971. In this poem Neruda talks about the necessity of quiet introspection and creating a feeling of mutual understanding among human beings
Before you read
What does the title of the poem suggest to you? What do you think the poem is about?
Keeping Quiet
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.
It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.
Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would look at his hurt hands.
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.
What I want should not be
confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.
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.
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.
Keeping Quiet Solution and Central Idea
Poetic Devices Keeping Quiet
Alliteration - The repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in
two or more neighbouring words or syllables.
- Now we will count to twelve
- and we will all keep still
- we would all be together
- in a sudden strangeness
- would look at his hurt hands
- wars with gas, wars with fire
- would put on clean clothes
- If we were not so single-minded
- Now I'll count up to twelve
Assonance - The repetition of similar vowel sounds takes place in
two or more words in proximity to each other within a line of poetry or prose.
- and not move our arms so much.
- victory with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their
brothers
Antithesis - It is a figure of speech that places two completely
contrasting ideas or clauses next to one another.
- Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still.
- as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive.
Repetition - Repetition is when a single word or phrase is used
multiple times in short succession to secure emphasis.
- Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still.
- without rush, without engines
- wars with gas, wars with fire,
Anaphora - Anaphora is repeating a sequence of words at the
beginnings of neighbouring clauses, thereby lending them emphasis.
- let's not speak in any language,
let's stop for one second,
Pun - A pun is a figure of speech that plays with words that
have multiple meanings, or that plays with words that sound similar but mean
different things.
- and not move our arms so much.
(The word
'arms' could mean weapons and could also mean upper limb).
Symbolism - The use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities, by
giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense.
- Now we will count to twelve
(The number twelve symbolises twelve hours of the day or twelve months of the year).
- Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
(Fishermen and whales represent the oppressor and the oppressed respectively).
- Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
(Green wars symbolise the environmental deterioration caused by human activities, wars with gas refer to the increasing pollution and wars with fire represent different wars which employ the use of nuclear weapons and explosives that cause massive destruction).
- and walk about with their
brothers
('Brothers' symbolises universal brotherhood and unity).
Transferred epithet - Transferred epithet is when an adjective usually used to describe one thing is transferred to another. An epithet is a word or phrase which describes the main quality of someone or something.
- Fishermen in the cold sea
(It's the fishermen who are so cold that they do not feel any emotions while harming the whales).
Metaphor - A metaphor is a comparison between two things that states one thing is another in order to help explain an idea or show hidden similarities.
- would put on clean clothes
(Clean clothes are compared to a new perspective or outlook).
- in the shade, doing nothing.
(The shade here refers to protection).
Personification - It is a poetic device where animals, plants or even inanimate objects, are given human qualities.
- Perhaps the Earth can teach us
Imagery - The use of figurative language to evoke a sensory experience or create a picture with words for a reader.
- Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would look at his hurt hands.
Enjambment - Enjambment is when a line of poetry carries its idea or thought over to the next line without a grammatical pause.
- 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,
- It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
- we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.
- Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would look at his hurt hands.
- would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their
brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.
- What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.
- If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
- perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with
death.
- 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.
Keeping Quiet Summary in English
“Keeping Quiet” is a peace poem written by the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. The poet asks humanity to count numbers from one to twelve – twelve being the number of hours shown in a clock or the number of zodiac signs. He requests everyone not to speak because languages create barriers between people. The moment when everyone stops moving their body will be very special and different as we have never experienced such a moment before.
The poet says that in this period of inactivity the fishermen would not harm
the whales, the salt gatherers will not hurt their hands, those who are busy
destroying the nature will adopt a new approach towards life, The men who are
preparing for wars and victory based on deaths of innocent people will join
their enemy and stand in unity with them, doing nothing. No one will harm
himself or any other person. Everyone will unite and ponder upon his acts and
realize the results of his deeds.
The poet clarifies his idea and says further that he does not want that people
should stand idle. He wants that there should be no war because he does not
want to see trucks laden with dead bodies of the soldiers. He is promoting
Universal brotherhood and peace.
The poet says that everyone is working continuously, to achieve one’s goals. People are threatened by death and the fear forces them to work endlessly so that they can achieve everything quickly. In this mad rush, they do not realize the repercussions of their acts. He wants us to pause and come out of the mad rush. He wants us to be happy about our achievements and celebrate them. He wants us to overcome the fear of death and to relax for a while. We should know the results of our deeds and celebrate our achievements.
When the people will remain quiet for a while, they will realize the purpose of their lives. Just like all the creations of nature undergo a rebirth with the change of seasons, similarly, keeping quiet will be a rebirth for the human soul. It will give a new meaning to our life. Again, the poet says that he will count till twelve and asks everyone to remain quiet while he leaves.
Keeping Quiet Summary in Hindi
“कीपिंग क्वाइट” चिली के कवि पाब्लो नेरुदा द्वारा लिखित एक शांति कविता है।
कवि एक से बारह तक की संख्या गिनने के लिए कहता है। बारह एक घड़ी में दिखाए गए घंटों की संख्या या राशियों की संख्या भी हो सकती। वह सभी से न बोलने का अनुरोध करता है क्योंकि भाषाएं लोगों के बीच अवरोध पैदा करती हैं।
जिस क्षण हर कोई अपने शरीर को हिलाना बंद कर देता है वह पल बहुत ही खास और अलग होगा जैसा कि हमने पहले कभी ऐसे क्षण का अनुभव नहीं किया है।
कवि का कहना है कि निष्क्रियता के इस दौर में मछुआरे व्हेल को नुकसान नहीं पहुंचाएंगे, नमक इकट्ठा करने वाले अपने हाथों को चोट नहीं पहुंचाएंगे, जो प्रकृति को नष्ट करने में व्यस्त हैं वे जीवन के प्रति एक नया दृष्टिकोण अपनाएंगे।
जो लोग निर्दोष लोगों की मौत के आधार पर युद्ध और जीत की तैयारी कर रहे हैं, वे अपने दुश्मन में शामिल हो जाएंगे और उनके साथ एकता में खड़े होंगे, कुछ भी नहीं करेंगे। कोई भी खुद को या किसी अन्य व्यक्ति को नुकसान नहीं पहुंचाएगा। हर कोई एकजुट होगा और उसके कार्यों पर विचार करेगा और उसके कर्मों के परिणामों को महसूस करेगा।
कवि अपने विचार को स्पष्ट करता है और आगे कहता है कि वह नहीं चाहता कि लोग बेकार खड़े रहें। वह चाहता है कि युद्ध न हो क्योंकि वह सैनिकों के शवों से लदे ट्रकों को नहीं देखना चाहता। वह सार्वभौमिक भाईचारे और शांति को बढ़ावा दे रहे हैं।
कवि कहता है कि प्रत्येक व्यक्ति अपने लक्ष्य को प्राप्त करने के लिए निरंतर कार्य कर रहा है। लोग मौत से डरते है और डर उन्हें अंतहीन काम करने के लिए मजबूर करता है ताकि वे सब कुछ जल्दी से हासिल कर सकें। इस भागदौड़ में, उन्हें अपने कृत्यों के प्रतिफल का एहसास नहीं होता है।
वह चाहता है कि हम रुकें और पागलों की भीड़ से बाहर आएं। वह चाहता है कि हम अपनी उपलब्धियों के बारे में खुश रहें और उनका जश्न मनाएं। वह चाहता है कि हम मौत के डर पर काबू पाएं और कुछ देर आराम करें। हमें अपने कर्मों के परिणामों को जानना चाहिए और अपनी उपलब्धियों का जश्न मनाना चाहिए।
Keeping Quiet Solution and Central Idea
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