Pablo Neruda Pablo Neruda (1904 –

1973) was the ‘pen name’

and later, ‘legal name’ of
this famous Chilean poet
– diplomat – politician.
He won the Noble prize
for literature in the year
1971. He wrote in green
ink which was his
personal symbol for
desire and hope.
His writings are simple, wherein
lies their beauty.
Originally written in Spanish, the
essence of this poem is based
on introspection and
retrospection. The poet feels
that some soul – searching is
needed for us to be at peace
with ourselves and others.
Introduction to the lesson :

The poem “Keeping Quiet” written

by Pablo Neruda discusses the
need of maintaining peace and
silence. He stresses upon being
quiet and harmless to the human
beings, animals and environment.

He suggests that in order to

maintain peace and harmony, it is
required to stop and introspect
ourselves.
Rhyme scheme of the Now we will count to twelve
poem : and we will all keep still.
For once on the face of the
Earth
The poem has been let’s not speak in any
written in free verse. language,
let’s stop for one second,
It does not have and not move our arms so
rhyme scheme. much.
Poem and explanation :

First stanza :

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.
1. The poet asks everyone to count
up to twelve in their mind. The
number twelve represents the
hours of the day or the months of
a year.

2. He wants all of us to be calm and

still.

3. People across the nations have to

unite together, so, they shall not
speak their own languages, rather
they all shall keep quiet and speak
the language of silence.
4. This will bring unity
among all the humans on
the face of the Earth.

5. For at least one

moment, no one shall
move his arms either to
signal, or to fight, or argue
with each other.
Literary devices :

Alliteration : the
repetition of a consonant
sound at the start of 2 or
more closely placed
words.
‘we will’ - ‘w’ sound is
repeated
Second stanza

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.
Explanation

1. When everything will come

to a standstill, it will be a rare
situation.
2. No one will be in a rush,
there will be no engines
running.
3. Everyone will be calm and
quiet, united with each other in
a strange atmosphere.
It will be strange because it has
never happened earlier.
4. No person would be
harming any other living
being either for food or to
earn his livelihood.

5. All the people who work

endlessly will get some time
to look at their injuries and
the damage they have
caused to their body.
Literary devices :

Alliteration- ‘we would’ - ‘w’ sound is

repeated, ‘sudden strangeness’ - ‘s’ sound is
repeated, ‘his hurt hands’ - ‘h’ sound is
repeated
Third stanza
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.
Explanation

1. The people who exploit the green

wealth of nature by deforestation, or
mining, or fishing in the deep seas and
the soldiers who use weapons to kill
fellow human beings need some time to
introspect into the consequences of their
actions. They are merely doing their job
or following orders.

2. He wants them to put on ‘new clothes’

i.e. to adopt a new approach towards life
and to realize that killing so many people
is not a victory.
3. He wants all of us to be united
as one, consider our enemy to be
our brother.

4. He is promoting brotherhood,
peace and unity.

5. He does not want us to stop

our works but to take some time
and analyze the results of our
deeds.
Literary devices :

Alliteration: ‘wars with’ - ‘w’ sound is repeated, ‘clean

clothes’ - ‘c’ sound is repeated

Assonance: use of vowel ‘o’ (victory with no survivors, would

put on clean clothes and walk about with their brothers)

Repetition: use of ‘war’

Fourth stanza :

If we were not so single-minded

about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could perhaps a huge
silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with
death.
Explanation :

All human beings work endlessly with the aim

of completing all their tasks.
They are driven by the target of survival and
the threat of death.
So they are in a mad rush to accomplish
all their works.
He says that perhaps, if they pause for a
while, they can appreciate their achievements
and their lives would become happier.
He suggests that by keeping quiet, we will be
able to understand the true purpose of our
life.
Literary devices :

Alliteration: we
were, so single -
minded
Fifth stanza

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.
Explanation :
The poet suggests us to take a
teaching from nature.
As the Earth undergoes changes,
in winter, everything freezes,
becomes lifeless but after some
time, the season changes again,
and everything comes back to life.

Similarly, taking a pause and

introspecting into our lives will
give it a new meaning. We will be
able to understand the purpose of
our life.
Explanation

It will be like a re-birth of

the soul.
The poet has conveyed to all
the people the purpose of
his message and so, he asks
them once again to take a
pause, count till twelve and
walks out of the scene,
keeping the scene open for
all the people on the Earth
to experience this for times
to come.
APpedia
Expected Questions
Q1- What will counting upto twelve and keeping still
help us achieve?

A1-If we count upto twelve and keep still, it will give us

some time to analyze our deeds. It will allow us some
moments to think about the result of our activities.
People in the world are involved in wars and are also
damaging the environment in order to achieve their aims.
Unfortunately this is taking all of us toward our own end.
So, we need to think in order to achieve peace and
harmony.
Q2- Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and
death?

A2- No, the poet doesn’t advocate total inactivity and

death. He clarifies this in his poem that he wants all the
people to just stop for a while in order to analyze their
activities and their consequences. He wants human
beings not to support war and damage to the
environment.
Practice Question
Q- What is the ‘sadness’ that the
poet refers to in the poem?
A- The sadness is the result of our own actions
and deeds. According to the poet we all are in
a hurry of achieving various tasks in our life.
This rush sometimes proves dangerous for us.
As we don’t analyze our actions, so we land
ourselves in a number of problems. These
problems then become the reason for our
sadness as referred to in the poem.
MCQs

22/8
Q1- What does the title of the poem
suggest?

A) Inactivity
B) noise
C) unhappiness
D) Maintenance of silence
Q2- What does the poem speak
about?

A) the necessity to be happy

B) the necessity to introspect ,
understand and have feelings of
brotherhood
C) the necessity to work quietly
D) none
Q3- What does counting upto 12 signify and
how will it help?

A) hours of the day

B) months of a year
C) it will help to create peace and harmony
D) all
Q4- What is poet's pen name?

A) Neruda
B) Pable
C) Pablo
D) Pablo Neruda
Q5- What does the style of the
poem symbolize, that the poet
used to write with?

A) desires
B) happiness
C) hope
D) desire and hope
Q6- What is the essence or message of the
poem ?

A) introspection and retrospection to be more

peaceful and be in harmony
B) to prosper
C) to be happier
D) to reach out more people
Q7- What does the poet feel is needed to be at
peace?

A) meeting with people

B) talking with people
C) interaction with the people
D) Soul searching
Q8- According to the poet
what creates barriers?

A) interactions
B) reactions
C) fighting
D) languages
Q9- What is destroying the environment?

A) unthoughtful actions
B) violent actions
C) speaking without thinking
D) All
Q10- Why does the poet ask people not to
speak?

A) because it creates noise

B) he doesn't like noise
C) it makes things unpleasant
D) because it creates barriers or obstacles in the
form of misunderstanding amongst people
Extract Based Questions