Keeping Quiet
IMPORTANT STANZAS FOR COMPREHENSION
1.“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.”
Questions:
i) Name the poem and the poet of these lines.
Ans: The name of the poem is “Keeping
Quiet” and the name of the poet is Pablo Neruda.
ii) Why does the poet ask us to count to twelve?
Ans: There are only twelve signs on the clock to measure
hours. Therefore, the poet asks us to count till the clock measures these hours.
iii) Why does the poet ask us to keep still?
Ans: Too much activity and rush has
only brought misfortunes to mankind. Therefore, the poet asks us to keep still
or to make complete silence without rush and the noise of the machines. Because
the moment of stillness will be fascinating moment for us.
iv) ‘Let’s not speak in any language’, says the poet. Why?
Or
Why should not we speak in any language and
not move our arms so much?
Ans: The people of this world
indulges in unnecessary debates and disputes. Most of these arguments lead to
destructive wars.The poet urges people to stop speaking in any language. They
must speak through their hearts. So far men have moved their arms to harm
others. Therefore, the poet wants that they should not move their arms so
much.Let these arms rest for once. Let a feeling of mutual understanding, be
created among human beings.
v) Find words from the
passage which mean. (a) say number (b) quiet and motionless.
Ans:a) Say number-------count
b) Quiet and motionless------still
2) “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.”
Questions:
i) Name the poem and the poet of these lines.
Ans: The name of the poem is “Keeping
Quiet” and the name of the poet is Pablo Neruda.
ii) What kind of moment
will it be?
Ans: It will be a very enticing and
beautiful moment.
iii) What will happen if there is no rush or running of engines?
Ans: There will be peace all around if there is no rush or
the sound of the running of engines and machines.
iv) How would all of us
feel at that moment?
Ans: All of us will enjoy the unusualness and sudden
strangeness of that moment. At that moment we will be all together.
v) What do the
fishermen usually do in the cold sea?
Ans: Fishermen usually catch fish,
particularly whales, in the cold seas.
vi) )What does the poet ask fishermen not to do?
Ans: The poet asks fishermen not to hurt or injure the
whales in the seas.
vii) What has happened
to the man gathering salt?
Ans: The man gathering salt has
injured/hurt his hands.
viii) What should the man gathering salt do?
Ans: The man gathering salt should
take care of his hurt hands.
3. “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.”
Questions:
i) What sort of wars are mentioned in the above lines?
Ans: The
different kind of wars mentioned in the above lines are green wars, wars with
poisonous gases and the wars with fire arms. These wars are destructive.
ii) What kind of
victory will it be?
Ans: It will be a victory where no
survivors will be left to celebrate it. Such a victory will be meaningless.
iii) How should the monger of (lovers of ) war do?
Ans: Instead of preparing for wars,
the war mongers should put on clean clothes. They should come out with their
brothers and should walk under the trees leisurely without doing anything.
4. “What I want should
not be
confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is
about;
I want no truck with
death.
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.”
Questions:
i) What does the poet want? What should it not be confused
with?
Ans: The poet is advocating for silence or stillness.
Stillness should not be confused with total inactivity.
ii) Explain: ‘I want no truck with death’.
Ans: Total inactivity brings death. The poet refuses to
associate (or deal) with death. Thus, he is not advocating for death.
iii) What were we not
focusing on?
Ans: It would be better, if we had
not been focusing all the time on keeping our lives moving. We should have
given ourselves rest for sometime/once.
iv) When can a huge
silence do us good?
Ans: A huge silence can do us a lot of good when we
are disappointed at not understanding ourselves or threatening ourselves with
death.
5. “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.”
Questions:
i) What can the Earth teach us?
Ans: The Earth can teach us/mankind a
lesson how to live on it.
ii) What remains alive
when everything seems dead?
Ans: Only the earth remains alive when everything seems
dead.
iii) What does he want to do?
Ans: The poet wants to count upto twelve.
iii) What does the poet ask us to do?
Ans: The poet asks us to keep quiet while he is counting
upto twelve.
iv) Why does the poet
count upto twelve?
Ans: The poet asks us to count upto
twelve and keep quiet. Keeping quiet will help us in creating a feeling of
mutual understanding and introspection among human beings. It will keeps up
away from harmful activities.
MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED
1Q. What will counting
upto twelve and keeping still have us achieve?
Ans: The poet urges us to count upto
twelve and keeping still. Perhaps here twelve represents the twelve hour marks
on the clock. Most of the ill and troubles of the world are caused because of
our rush and hurry. Keeping still will give us the necessary respite.
Q2. Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death?
Ans: No, he doesn’t advocate either
total inactivity or death. He makes it quite clear that ‘stillness’ should not
be confused with “total inactivity or equated to it. Total inactivity brings
death. But Neruda has ‘no truck with death’. His stillness means halting of
harmful and hostile human activities
Q3. What is the
‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem?
Ans: Man’s sadness is formed out of his own actions and
thoughts. It is quite ironical that man who understands so much fails to
understand himself and his action. Rash actions prove harmful and destructive.
Man is the creator of all disasters. He is always threatening himself with
death because of his thoughts and actions. This is the tragedy of his life.
Q4) What symbol from
Nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under apparent
stillness?
Ans: the poet doesn’t want to confuse
us ‘stillness’ with total inactivity. There can be life under apparent
stillness. The poet invokes the Earth as a living symbol to prove his point.
When everything seems dead, only the Earth proves to be active. The Earth never
attains total inactivity. Nature remains at work all the time even under
apparent stillness and keeps the Earth alive. This idea is beautifully
illustrated by the following lines “as when everything seems dead and later
proves to be alive”.
Q5. Why does Pablo Neruda urge us to keep still?
Ans: According to Pablu Neruda the
people of this world indulge in some unnecessary debates and disputes. Pablu
Neruda considers that indecent haste and activities led humanity to wars,
violence and death. He urges us to keep still to enjoy a few moment of peace rest and tranquility.
Sometimes keeping quiet/still gives us the much needed respite.
Q6. Why shouldn’t we
“speak in any language” and “not move our arms so much”?
Ans: People of the world speak in
different languages. They indulge in unnecessary debates and disputes. Most of
these arguments lead to destructive wars. The poet urges people to stop
speaking in any language. They must speak through their hearts. So far men have
moved their arms only to harm others. Therefore, the poet wants that they
should not move their arms so much. Let these arms rest for once. Let a feeling
of mutual understanding , be created among human beings.
Q7. Which is the exotic
moment that the poet refers to in ‘Keeping Quiet’?
Ans: The poet talks about the exotic
moment when everyone keeps quiet. There will be no rush for a second. The
machines must stop for a moment. That moment will be fascinating for all of us.
All of us shall enjoy the sudden strangeness of the moment together.
Q8. Why do men become
sad? How can this sadness be overcome?
Ans: Men never understand themselves.
Nor are they ever sure of their actions. They face another tragedy. Due to
their own actions, they are threatening themselves with death. This realization
makes them helpless and sad. Only a huge (long) silence might interrupt this
sadness and do them some good.
Q9. What alternatives
does the poet, Pablu Neruda suggest instead of including in wars?
Ans: Instead of including in wars ,
the people must come out in their best dresses with their brothers. They should
go out for a walk under the shady trees and enjoy themselves doing nothing .
This would bring the feeling of togetherness among them.
10) What is green war?
Ans: The wars against nature by
causing environmental degradation are green wars.
Also Visit:
Class 12 English(AHSEC)
Class 12 Political Science(Assamese)
Post a Comment