SIR PADAMPAT SINGHANIA EDUCATION CENTRE

Poem: Keeping Quiet

Revision sheet with Solution
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:

Question 1: ‘Life is what it is all about; ‘How is keeping quiet related to life?
Answer: Keeping quiet does not mean total 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 2: 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 3: 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 4: What will counting up to twelve and keeping still help us achieve?
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 5: What symbol from nature does the poet invoke 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.

Question 6: 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 7: What is the sadness that the poet refers to in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet?
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 this results in sadness.

Question 8: 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 9: 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 10: How can suspension of activities help?

Answer: The 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.
POETIC DEVICES

IRONY
‘green wars’; ‘wars with gas; wars with fire; victory with no survivors’, there is no victory in these wars
as countless men have died during them.

METAPHOR
‘put on clean clothes’ - to cleanse himself and eradicate all feelings of hatred, anger and destruction
‘in the shade’ - the shade which gives relief from the hot sun is being compared to men sitting calmly and
peacefully as brothers.
‘twelve’ - measures twelve hours in a day and twelve months in a year.

SYNECDOCHE (is used by using a concrete object instead of an abstract concept)

‘brothers’ - symbolizes mankind or brotherhood

PUN (an amusing use of a word that can have two meanings or of different words that sound the same.)
‘arms’ - one meaning of ‘arms’ is weapons and the second meaning of ‘arms’ is human hands.

PARADOX (something made up of two opposite things and seems impossible-opposite ideas)
‘victory with no survivors’

PERSONIFICATION
‘Earth can teach us’ - Earth is personified as a teacher. When the earth appears to be dead, it is actually
dormant and carefully preserving the seeds of life, human beings too need to keep still and quiet to re-awaken
the life forces to be productive.

REPETITION
‘count up to twelve’, ‘Let’s’, ‘without’, ‘war’

SYMBOL
‘count to twelve’ - to refer to the passage of time twelve markings on a clock, 12 months in a year, 12 hours
of a day
‘fishermen in the cold sea’ - symbolic image showing how man is ruthlessly destroying nature for his selfish
need.
‘hurt hands’- symbolizes how he is harming himself by his mindless activities.

EUPHEMISM- (word or phrase used in place of a term that might be considered to direct, harsh or
unpleasant)
‘no truck’- refuse to associate with

ALLITERATION
‘sudden strangeness’, ‘clean clothes’, ‘hurt hands’

TRANSFERRED EPITHET (a modifier (usually an adjective) qualifies a noun other than the person or
thing it is actually describing.
‘Cold sea’