Monday, November 6, 2023

𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗼 𝗡𝗲𝗿𝘂𝗱𝗮

'keeping quiet' by Pablo Neruda

The poet Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) was born in the town of chile. His original name is Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. Neruda always uses easily understandable images which makes his poems rich in values. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in the year 1971. 

The poem 'keeping Quiet' is an earnest call of the poet to all the human being for a  quiet self- introspection and creating a bond through mutual understanding and mutual respect among human being.

summary of the poem:

Stanza 1
An urgent need of the hour -to keep still, a huge silence to self-introspect:

In the first stanza the poet urges us to take a pause --'keep still' by counting one, two, three and upto twelve.

 Stanza 2

In the second stanza the poet calls the human being of the whole world not to engage in any contradictions by speaking different languages which means not involve in unnecessary debates. The poet requests everybody to maintain a silence and quiet environment.The poet says nobody should take any rash decision of any harmful activities and should avoid taking wrong solutions of moving arms, as war is not the solution of any issues. The poet requests all the nations of the world not to engage in any unnecessary debate or contradictions by using their different languages. The poet urges us to keep still for one second to understand the language of silences for once only.

Stanza  3
In the third stanza the poet spuriously  tells us that the moment of silence would be an exotic moment as in which all the human being on earth could feel the oneness or togetherness which would be a very strange experience to all. Which the poet says may happen suddenly and that may be a strange moment when all the human being could be able to understand their relationships as one single nation on earth.
 
Stanza 4

In the 4th stanza the poet shows his consciousness about biological and sociological environment of the human world. The poet requests the fisherman not to hunt whales unnecessarily which is now in the verge of extinction, which definitely effects the biological environment. The poet is very conscious about the safeguard of the natural environment as well as safeguard of the bio-diversity. It is an urgent need of the time for adoption of a sustainable lifestyle to save human life on earth. 

The poet again requests the salt gatherers who are the founders of the economy of a nation,not to work too much in gathering salt which can't uplift their standard of living, rather they should 'take care of their hands' which means the protection and development of their class.The poet means to deliver a massage through these lines that economic balence within every starta of human society is essential for human progress and peace.

 Stanza 5

In the 5th stanza the poet urgently appeals those people who are warmongers, always in search of an issue to manipulate for a kind of their innate traits to fulfill and spread, to think about the global peace. The poet urgently appeals them who are thinking of harming the natural environment by green wars, to those who are preparing wars with gas or fires to think about  taking a pause. They should put on clean clothes and should go for a leisurely walk under the shade of the trees to understand the language of silences and stop all other activities for a while. The poet thinks this can only help people to understand their true purposes of living.The poet hopes in this way people can only develop mutual understanding and brotherhood among the people of the world. The poet advocates a peaceful environment in the world. 
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In the 6th stanza the poet tries to make us understand some values. He says what is his desire or wish is not to be confused or misunderstood as the poet doesn't mean stillness as death.The poet means to say that by maintaining a huge pause to our unnecessary and quick activities we should initiate a process of continuing all our works in a eco-friendly and sustainable way.

The poet says he is not advocating total inactivity, as the total inactivity means death.Because 'life is what is about'means life will be continuing even after everything becomes silent.But the poet doesn't want truck loaded with dead bodies suggestive of the two World Wars.The poet is quite against the war as it bring so many deaths and destructions. The poet says when there is no survivors victory would be meaningless. 
The poet strongly blames them who are quick and rash in their opinions and wants only war as a solution to any issues.  The poet insists that the human being should be united that is to develop a single thought that we should keep our life moving by maintaining peace and tranquilty. Otherwise human bring could do nothing for the mankind on earth. 
Again the poet goes back to his idea that, perhaps a huge silence or a huge pause could 'interrupt this sadness'.The poet says because of the ignorance about what they are doing human being itself causes so much harm to the human as well as to the natural world. 
 The poet is very positive about saying that a huge interruption might recover us from our ignorance, which is not understanding our purpose of living, as well as not understanding our role in the earth. The poet says because of that ignorance human being is always engaging  in some destructive  activities which only brings death and destruction to human world as well as to natural and animal world. 

Stanza 7

In the 7th short stanza the poet is very positive about a fact that the earth could teach us a lesson about life on earth. As, the poet says we see in earth under the visible silence life is in progress quietly and peacefully and will be be continuing. We see a huge silence on earth though all the cycles of changes in seasons are going on and life is seen progressing.It indicates that the earth is alive and active. 

The poet uses the earth as a symbol. The poet says that human being should learn a lesson from the earth. 

In the last two lines the poet is very hopeful that he could make his readers understand about his mission which  he himself starts by counting upto twelve and wishes us to do same.The poet is very hopeful that his mission will be continued.
 
The title of the poem:

Keeping quiet means to maintain a long pause in all our unnecessary rash activities.

 The imagery used in the  poem:

The image of a clock:

It is an easily understandable image which gives his poem
 a different degree of beauties.A clock has the twelve hours of sign for which the poet counts upto twelve. The word 'twelve' also indicates about the twelve zodiac signs in astrology. 

The imagery of clock is used to show us an image of time which is represented by a clock. The twelve hours sign of time is cyclical which has a mechanism to repeat itself. The poet counts upto twelve and urges us to start a huge pause to keep quiet.

The image of the mother earth:
 
The earth is presented as an image of a teacher.The poet says that we can take a lesson from the earth.Because in the earth we see a huge silence but under the apparent stillness all activities are going on. So that the earth can teach us a lesson. 

Major question and answers:

1.why does the poet Neruda 'wish to count to twelve'? 
Ans:The poet wishes us to count up to twelve because it is an urgent need of the time to take a huge pause to all our rash harmful activities to human as well as to animal world and wishes us to stop all unnecessary contradictions. The poet urges us to go for self introspection so that we can develop mutual understanding, mutual respect to strengthen the bond  of human relationship. 
  
2.what is the significance of the phrase'the face of the earth' in Neruda's poem? 

Ans:The phrase 'on the face of the earth' means one whole nation on the earth. The poet means to say that the whole human being on earth  should unitedly take a pledge to stop their destructive activities. 
3.what is considered to be an 'exotic moment' in the poem? 
Ans:According to the poet the exotic moment is a wonderful moment in which everyone would be able to feel a strange feeling that is the feeling of oneness.That would be an exotic moment when there would be no sound of machinaries or engines and when  there would be no rush activities, no contradictions, no differences of opinions and unnecessary destructive activities. That would be an exotic moment as in that moment everybody on earth would be able to feel the strong bond of brotherhood. 
4.'Fisherman in the cold sea/would not harm whales' what is meant by the above lines by Neruda? 
Ans:The poet asks the fisherman not to hunt the whales unnecessarily. The whales are now in the  verge of extinction which is quite against the Nature. So the poet makes them aware of fact. It would effect the bio-diversity and would definitely causes harm to the ecological balance in Nature.
 
5.'...the man gathering salt should look at his hurt hand's. What, is meant by' gathering salt' in the above lines? How are his hands hurt? 
Ans:The men gathering salt are the people from very lower starta of society. The poet asks them to take care of their hands which means that they should'nt hurt their hands by overwork.They should take care of their hands. The poet is very sympathetic about their economic  condition as they couldn't enjoy a rich and comfortable life. The poet is aware of economic balance in society. 

6.what is the meaning
Of: (a)wars with gas
      (b)wars with fire
Ans: The 'wars with gas means the use of poisonous gases as weapon in the war  which not only causes so many deaths but harms to the natural and animal worlds too. 
The 'wars with fire' means the use of blasting chemicals as weapon to kill the human being in wars.
 
7.who are the 'brothers' mentioned in the poem? 
Ans:The 'brothers' mentioned in the poem is the close relatives and neighbourhood people's. 

8.'what  I want should not be confused '. What does it mean by the poet? 
Ans:The poet appeals his readers not to create any confusion about his desire to create a peaceful world. He urges us to take a huge pause for self introspection and for development of mutual understanding and mutual respect,  tolerance and patience.

9.What is the meaning of  'want no truck with death' ? 
Ans:The poet means that he doesn't want war which causes so many of death and destructions only. 
10.About what are we so 'single minded'? 
Ans:According to the poet we should be united and single minded to create a peaceful world and sustainable life. 
11.what is 'this sadness'that Neruda talks of? 
Ans:Neruda says about the ignorance about not knowing our purpose of life and living. So the poet calls it as 'sadness', which is our ignorance only. 
12.who can teach us finally in the poem the poet thinks? 
Ans:The poet says that the earth can teach us finally a lesson how to remain active by maintaing a huge pause to all our  destructive activities. 
 
 






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