About the Poet 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.

Keeping Quiet Introduction

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 poem
The poem is written in free verse. It does not follow any rhyme scheme.
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.
Keeping Quiet Explanation
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.
The poet here requests everyone to count till twelve in their own mind and to stop for a while. May
be this ‘twelve’ referred by the poet is the twelve hours in the clock or the twelve months in an year.
He wants everyone to stop and calm down. The poet urges everyone not to speak any language. As
we all know that there are different languages spoken in different parts of the earth which sometimes
become a barrier in our way for peace. So, he asks people not to speak. Not only this, he also wants
us to stop moving our arms. By using the word ‘arms’ he means the weapons which are used by
different countries to raise a war against each other. So basically the poet is demanding peace from
all of us.
Literary devices:
Assonance: Use of vowel sound ‘o’ and ‘e’ (Now we will count to twelve, not move our arms so
much)
Anaphora: Two consecutive lines starting with the word ‘Let’s’
let’s not speak in any language,
let’s stop for one second,
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
When everything will come to a standstill, it will be a rare situation.
1. No one will be in a rush, there will be no engines running.
2. Everyone will be calm and quiet, united with each other in a strange atmosphere.
3. 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.
Poet says that it would be a rare situation when there will be no engines working. Here he wants to
stay that if everything comes to standstill, it will be a very different moment. If all the engines like the
vehicles and machines stop, then there will be a sudden, strange situation as the world will
experience a sudden calmness. People will not be in a rush to achieve material things one after
another. Further the poet says that the fisherman will also stop and not harm whales in the sea. This
means that the poet is urging everyone not to harm the animals. Here he gives the example of
whales which are being hunted for the purpose of food or trade. He also wants people to calm down
so that they can stop and see what they have achieved or lost. For this he gives the example of the
man who gathers salt, whose hands are hurt. Here he wants everyone to stop for a while in order to
see and feel their achievements and how much they have lost for the sake of attaining such
materialistic things.
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.
The poet asks everyone to stop those activities which are damaging the environment. Today all the
human beings are making money by damaging the environment with their activities such as mining,
deforestation, letting the chemical waste into rivers, etc. The poet asks us not to do so. He also
requests people not to involve in wars as there is no benefit of achieving such victory in which no
one is left alive. He says so because wars and environmental damage will lead to no life on earth.
Rather, he wants people to adopt a new approach towards life and mankind. He says that you
should treat your enemy like brothers and promote peace and harmony in the world.
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
1. All human beings work endlessly with the aim of completing all their tasks.
2. They are driven by the target of survival and the threat of death.
3. So they are in a mad rush to accomplish all their works.
4. He says that perhaps, if they pause for a while, they can appreciate their achievements and their
lives would become happier.
5. He suggests that by keeping quiet, we will be able to understand the true purpose of our life.
Now the poet wants to clarify to his readers that when he asks them to stop from saying or doing
anything, he doesn’t want anyone to become a non active person. Non active is a person who
remains idle and doesn’t do anything. Here, he simply means that we should stop and see the
consequences of our deeds. The poet doesn’t want to see people being killed due to their greed for
money and expansion of territories. Further, he says that people are continuously working to
achieve their tasks without even thinking about their results. They are in fear of death and therefore,
want to achieve most of the things before their death. Here he urges them to stop for a while and
take some moment to relish on what they have achieved till now. Everyone here is living a life in
which he wants to achieve various things one after another. But now the poet says it is the time to
stop and see what has been achieved and should be enjoyed. This will help us skip the sadness
which has become so prominent in our lives. The sadness of not enjoying what we have achieved
and the greed to achieve what next is in the list to be achieved.
Literary devices
Alliteration: we were, so single – minded
enjambment: and for once could perhaps a huge silence……..of threatening ourselves with death.
 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.
1. 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.
2. 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. It will be like a re birth of the soul.
3. 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.
So, now the poet suggests to the human beings that we should learn a lesson from Earth. During the
winters everything freezes and becomes lifeless. But when season changes and its the onset of
spring season, everything present in the nature such as the trees, birds, rivers, etc gets life. So here,
the poet, by giving the example of nature, wants to say that all the human beings should stop and try
to judge their deeds. They can try and make their life better with calmness, peace. Finally, he ends
up by saying that now he will count upto twelve so that we all may become quiet. Here ‘quiet’ means
to calm down ourselves and move towards the path of peace and harmony. After saying this he says
‘I will go’. He says so as he has conveyed his message to the people and wants them to be left
alone to think about it and work in the direction of peace.