Keeping Quiet

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Wewould

brotherhood would
prevail. DarTiers between Opportunity to introspect. Since
how he is
Man would get an communitiesto would break and a sense of
nature
and

new)feeling
harming
ofuunity wouldhimself.
be
Futile warsopportunity
against men
realise how he is
and nature would bedestroying
misunderstood as a
anda
experienced. The
state of
uselessness. poet does not want his arrested
to learn a desire forinactivity
bem
obe He wants men
appearsto be
to
Earth inactive yet it is selflessly lesson from the Earth.
The
progressivewithout any aggression, productive. Men too
selfishness and the urge for could be productive and
destruction
1Reference To Context Questions (4 Marks Each)
Stanza-/
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. [CBSE Delhi20121
Why does the poet want us to keep quiet?
The poet wants us to keep quiet so that
lE analysis for mental relaxation and we can take stock of our mindless activities and
Ans.
save mankind from its imminent doom.
What does he want us to do for one second?
Hewants us to keep quiet and not speak
Ans. and not move our arms. Instead we should
all
stop activities and do nothing i.e. no speech and no
What does he mean by 'not move our arms?
activity.
Ans. Not mOve our arms´ means no movement and no activity and not to harm
others.
There should be no wars and no violence.

Stanza-ll
It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness. [CBSE Delhi 2010]
a What does 'It' refer to?
Ans. It' refers to keeping quiet for a moment.
b Who is the poet speaking to?
Ans. The poet is talking to an audience of human beings.

Xamide£
moment like?
Iheabseucolbehutle
the amdbIstle ol bte would create a fecling of peace and quin
would
(c) What Dtural
omDment
Ans. would Lakeus edn o0T

Stanza-II|
Fishermen in the cold sea,
whales
would not harm
salt
and the man gathering
hands.
would look at his hurt
symbolicof?
Lot What are fishermen'
'Fishermen' symbolise those people who have beenindiscriminately exploiting natue
Ans. theirown vested interests.
and Mother Earth for to give in these lines?
does the poet seem
(BWhat message to conveyis that the desire of
man for more and
Ans. The messagethat
Neruda wishes than development. Man Mre
advancement has done more destruction
progress and brethren.
and care for his
to have no concen
doesNeruda
imagethat portray in the last lines?
Nerudaseems
l(cWhat The image to create in the last lines is one of incessant suffering
Ans. comfortable, he pays no heed to the sufferings h t
In order to make life more salt do not look at their hurt palms because the
gather
undergone. The men, who comfortable for themselves and for their family.
more busy making life more

Stanza-IV
Those who prepare green
wars,
with fire,
wars with gas, wars
victory with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with
their brothers

in the shade, doing nothing.


green wars?
(a Who are 'those' who prepare stanza for the politicians, Scientists, statesmen and
those
Ans. The word those' is used in this dominance are involved ininitiating
their zeal for
overambitious powers to be, whoin
and aggravating wars.
with fire'?
wars, wars with gas, wars by man and used
8) What are 'green weapons which have been created
chemical
Ans. These are the nuclear and In fact, these wars have brought mankind
to its fatal
countries.
Inwag1ng wars against environment.
gnd. These wars are also against the
survivors'?
What does Neruda mean by victory with no chemical warfare would
Ans. The victory that may be gained with thehelp of nuclear and such a war which
actually leave no one alive in that area. There isno point of winningdisastrous weapons
advanced and
Cannot be savoured as there are no survivors. Such

Aamideå
Lrue23
wouldactually make the living planet change to a dead one and make mankind an
extinctspecies. Such wars leave no survivors to celebrate. This is exactly what Neruda
meantby'victory
with no survivors'

Slanza-V
What I want should not be
confused
with total inactivity
Life is what it is about,
I want no truck with death.
What does Neruda imply by totalinactivity'?
Totalinactivity''would imply mankind becoming inactive and bringing life a
Ans.
to standstill.
Itwouldl also mean total stagnation with no human activities taking place on the face of
pheearth.
Whatislife'about'?
Life cannot be brought to a standstill under any circumstances. It is an ongoing process
Ans. on.
andit has to move
What does Neruda mean when he says, I want no truck with death'?
Ans. Neruda says that when he talks of counting uptotwelve, meditating and introspecting.
he is not advocating death-like silence. To bring all activities to ahalt is only to facilitate
introspection, and not to bring life to a standstill. Life is an ongoing process and
humanity should move on.

Stanza-VI
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.
(a) What is man 'single-minded' about?
ns. Man is single-minded about his own progress and advancement. He is so focussed
on his own development that he forgets to visualise the pros and cons of reckless
development. The consequences and impact of materialistic progress should be taken
into consideration.
Explain, 'sadness of never understanding ourselves'.
Ans. Mankind, in its race for materialistic success has sacrificed his emotional needs at some
point of time. People are so engrossed in fulfilling their ambitions and successfully
completing their duties that they tend to forego their inner mental satisfaction. Thus,
they tend to become sadand isolated.

Xamidea
-

No How hasmankind threatened itself with death?


Ans. The race for more arms and ammunitions and the
hasdesire to
over more and more areas and countries is what
The mass destruction of nature is also one main
reason foor enedOverpemanki
threatlarge-scal owernandd
wIidhominay
death deal
Stanza-VII
Perhaps the Earth can teach us
ofhumanN
as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive.
Now Ill count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.
(a) What and how can the Earth teach us?
Ans. The Earth can teach us how life emerges from the remains or ashes of the
dead. It alky
teaches us the art of preserving and resurrecting life on Earth. At times, the Earthd
to be dead on the surface. But beneath this dormant surface, there is an
which goes on to prove that there can be life under apparent stillness. amazing life
(b) Explain, 'you keep quiet and I willgo'.
Ans. Pablo Nerudaimplores mankind to keep quiet and experience the ecstatic moments of
silence. This meditation and introspection helps rejuvenate and create a new trend of
thoughts and bring changes in thought process for the better. After having achieved is
intentions, the poet quietly departs toleave man meditate, introspect and revel in that
very exotic moment.

Stanza-VIlI
Perhaps the Earth can teach us
as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive.
Now I'Ilcount upto twelve [CBSEDelhi2013]
go.
and you keep quiet and I will
Ya) What does the Earth teach us? surface. But within, the churning that brings te
calm on the
Ans. Earth teaches us to remain
change is always going on non-stop.
achieve by counting upto twelve: of the work is uptothe
What does the poet mean to
(0)
Ans. certain time to the reader to keep quiet. Rest conveyed what was to
The poet is giving a is over. He has
reader. By asking us to keep quiet the poet's work
be conveyed.
(c) ourselves
What is the significance of 'keeping quiet? look within to our
to
It is
immportant to keep quiet because it will enable usthen find solutions
and
understand what we are really looking for. We can
problems.
dea
FROM TEXT
Literalue237
o twp

TEXTBOOK QUESTIONSI
totwelve and keeping still help us achieve? [CBSE
(F) 2009]
wilIl counting up
What
exercise of counting up
to twelve will help us to sit still, away from the humdrum
This meditate, reflect and introspect in silence. It will help us to
achieve a sense of
Ans. life,
of
togetherness away
fromthe mundane activities of life.
Pablo Neruda advocates total inactivity and death? Why/Why
you think the poet, |CBSE Delhi 201I]
Do
He only wants
not?
poet Pablo Neruda does not advocate total inactivity or death.
No,the warto be stopped. He wants inhuman and destructive activities specially those
involved in war to be stopped. He wants the human race to live in peace and
Ans. inhuman
which are
harmony.
poet, Pablo Neruda, refers to in the poem, 'Keeping
sadness that the
What is the [CBSE (AI)) 2011]
Quiet'? of of which the modern man has
sadness thhatthe poet refers to is the sadness f isolation,
The
Ans. becomea victim. This sadness has made
man selfish. Man forgets the needs of his fellow men.
be life under
symbol from nature does the poet invoke to say that there can
What stillness?
4 apparent
Earth has been personified as a teacher. Like
ateacher, the Earth teaches us the
The when everything on Earth seems
Ans. Loet lesson in silence. Itsends us a strong message that
silent and quiet, it
nurtures so much life underneath. Life moves on, like an ongoing
process, and the cycle of
birth and death, decay and renewal continues.

Short+Answer Questions (Solved)


thepoem 'Keeping Quiet', what is the appeal
made by the poet? [CBSE (A))201]
1.
The poet appeals the people to keep quiet for a short time. This would help them
Ans. and conduct self-analysis. All this will help save
lake stock of their mindless activities
mankind from its imminent doom.
2. SUnder the apparent stillness there is life."
Justify this statement giving an example from the poem, 'Keeping Quiet.
[CBSE (F) 2010]
once it melts, similarly, there
Ans. The poet says that just as there will be life below the snow
will be Tife even in the apparent stillness.
attitude
3, What are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the poem? What is Neruda's
towards these wars?
[CBSE (AI) 2013]
gas--chemical or
Ans. Green wars - cutting the trees, war with environment; war with
nuclear; war with fire, and war with ammunition. Every type of war is useless and
survivors. War
must be given up. Whenever there is victory after a war, there are no
is only destructive.
4. When everything seems dead, what remains alive?
Ans. When everything seems to be dead, only the earth remains alive.
3. What is 'the fisherman' symbolic of?
Ans. The for his vested
fisherman syymbolises man's indiscriminate exploitation of nature
Interests.
Xamidea
(Core)-XI|
English
238 | Xam idea
activities help? allow men to |CBSE (AI) 2012 AT
suspension of of activities will introspect, which
nationality.Can
How can suspension based on caste, religion and
6 believesthat the problems
The poet many of learn from nature?
solving beings can
help them by
Ans.
what is that human
7. According
to the poet,
important. Just 1ike nature carries
[CBSE (AI) 2010
apparent stillness in attitude is similarly stillness in attitude on its
Ans. Life under there is stillness all around, help in will
work even when
go. 3»
retrospection.
teach us... and youwill keep quiet and Iwill
8. Perhaps the Earth can [CBSE (AI) 2013)
teach us? Abo
(a) What does the earth
the old and dead. Earth also teaches
Ans. It teaches us how new life springs from Johr
there is life under apparent stillness. the
up to twelve?
(b) What does the poet mean to achieve by counting des
Ans. The poet wants to achieve peace by counting up to twelve. Hewants us to introsneo: Alt
the silence.
his
, Whatis the significance of 'keeping quiet'? po
Ans.
Keeping quiet doesn't mean just keeping silent. It means that we should avoid al
activities which hurt nature, hurting us eventually in the process.
hort-Answer Ouestions (Unsoved)

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