3. Keeping Quiet (By Pablo Neruda)
Summary of the poem ‘Keep Quiet’
Pablo
Neruda tells us about the importance of introspection in this poem. It needs
only counting up to twelve to reach this state. We become one with all on this
earth in this position. The process of introspection discards all greed,
cruelty, and selfishness from our minds. We become more humane. The fisherman
would no more kill whales out of greed. The man gathering salt will stop
gathering more salt. The people who create wars will also become sympathetic to innocent people. The process of introspection needs a few moments of
silence. The people doing introspection may seem inactive. But this is a
temporary situation. After introspection, we are again full of energy and
enthusiasm.
Short-Answer type questions (30-40) words each :
Q.1 What will counting up to twelve and keeping
still help us to achieve?
Ans. Counting up
to twelve will just provide us a chance to stop our activities for a while. We
shall be able to understand ourselves and restart our activities with renewed
energy.
Q.2 Do you think the poet advocates total
inactivity and death?
Ans. The poet does
not advocate total inactivity and death. He says that we should stop our
activities for a few moments. During these moments, we should do introspection.
It will fully recharge our mind and we can again start our activities afresh.
Q.3 What is the sadness that the poet refers to
in the poem?
Ans. The poet
talks about sadness in the poem. It comes because we are always busy with the activities of life. We do not spare time to think and understand our
inner-being.
Q.4 What symbol from nature does the poet invoke
to say that there can be life under apparent stillness?
Ans. The poet uses
the symbol of the earth in the winter season. The earth suspends all its creative
activities during this season. It does not mean that the earth becomes dead. After
winter, the earth restarts its activities with fresh energies. New colours and
beauties are added to it. Similarly, if we suspend our activities, we do not
become dead.
Q.5 What idea does the poet Pablo Neruda want to
convey to us?
Ans. The poet
tells us the importance of introspection. In this process, we sit quiet and
silent. We think only about ourselves we suspend all our activities and sit
still. It helps us understand our inner-being. After that, we restart our
worldly activities afresh our virtues are kindled (created) during
introspection. This is the poet’s message to us.
Q.6 What does the poet mean when he says, “Now
we will count to twelve and we will all keep still”?
Ans. Counting to
twelve will make us focused on our thoughts. All activities will be
suspended for a few moments. Our body is still. Now we are in a position to do
introspection.
Q.7 Why does the poet call the moment of quiet
introspection ‘an exotic moment’?
Ans. It is exotic
because we will feel united with all creatures and nature. The feeling of
oneness will cure us of the negative feelings of greed, jealousy, cruelty,
selfishness, etc.
Q.8 What does the poet say about those ‘who
prepare green wars’?
Ans. When we are
in quiet introspection, our inner voice becomes more effective. Our negative
thoughts and feelings become weak and inactive. They will become soft and human
in quiet introspection. They will give up their activities.
Comprehension
Stanza 1- Now we will count to ........ arms so much.
Q.1 Name the poem and its poet.
Ans. ‘Keeping
Quiet’ by Pablo Neruda.
Q.2 What does the poet want us to do?
Ans. He wants us
to count to twelve and keep still (quiet)
Q.3 What does he not want us to do?
Ans. __ not to
say anything and not to move our arms.
Q.4 What is the real purpose of saying all this?
Ans We should
stop all our activities for a while, become silent and do introspection.
Stanza-2 “It would be an exotic moment ..........
strangeness.
Q.1 What would be an erotic moment?
Ans. The moment of
introspection and silence would be exotic.
Q.2 How would it be ‘without rush without
engines’?
Ans. It is because
all activities would be suspended during introspection.
Q.3 How shall we feel at this moment?
Ans. We will feel
together with all.
Q.4 How will it help the individual and the
world?
Ans. It would
bring peace to the individual and the world.
Stanza-3 “Fishermen in the cold sea ....... would
look at his hurt hands”
Q.1 What would the fishermen not do and why?
Ans. They would not
harm whales because they would feel satisfied in the moments of introspection.
Q.2 What would the man gathering salt do?
Ans. He would look
at his hurt hands and perhaps would stop collecting more salt.
Q.3 What do the words ‘hurt hands’ mean?
Ans. Injured hands
Stanza-4 “Those who prepare green wars ....... in
the shade, doing nothing.”
Q.1 What is meant by ‘green wars’
Ans. Wars against
greenery
Q.2 How are the wars fought?
Ans. They are
fought with fatal gases and weapons of firing.
Q.3 Which phrase used in the stanza show inhumanity of wars.
Ans. “Victory with
no survivors”
Q.4 How can men come out of their love for wars
and start living like brothers?
Ans. By giving
time to introspection.
Stanza-5 “What I want should not be confused ..... I
want no truck with death”
Q.1 What does the poet want?
Ans. He wants - to
stop for a second, remain still, and find a moment for quiet introspection.
Q.2 What does he want us not to confuse quiet
introspection with?
Ans. He does not
want us to confuse it with total inactivity.
Q.3 What does he think about life?
Ans. He thinks
life full of activity.
Q.4 According to the poet, inactivity means -
Ans. death
Stanza-6 “If we were
not so single-minded....... threatening ourselves with death”
Q.1 What does the poet think to be a sad
situation? Ans. It is the situation when we
keep our life busy and do not find time for quiet introspection.
Q.2 What will happen if we go on without endless
activities? Ans. We shall
never be able to understand ourselves.
Q.3 We can understand ourselves through - Ans. quiet introspection
Q.4 How shall we be threatening ourselves with
death?
Ans. If we do not
do introspection, we shall be threatening ourselves with death.
Stanza-7 “Perhaps the Earth can teach us ..........
and you keep quiet and I will go ?”
- We can start our activities with fresh
energy and in a better way by suspending them for a short while.
- The poet tells us to count to twelve just to
give time for introspection.
- Keeping quiet will help us achieve an inner
maturity
- A little of introspection can bring harmony
to the world.
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