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. 

Standard

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. 

 

 

Childhood-A Poem by Markus Natten

 'Childhood' by Markus Natten

About the poet:

Markus Natten is a poet from Norway. A little is known about the poet. He is best known for his poem "Childhood".

Photograph of Markus Natten 

About the poem:

The Poem "Childhood" is a self introspective poem of the poet about the lost of childhood in human life,which is also a general one. The basic question of the poet, which he is repeating several times in the poem is:"when did my childhood go?The poet gets his answer and describes in the stanzas. 

 

The poem is about the loss of childhood in human life which is, as a result of a gradual development of rationality,hypocrisy and individualism in a human being.

 

The poet specifically mentions about the childhood period which extends upto the age of eleven.A question came to his mind that wheather he had lost his childhood at that age. 

The poet considers childhood as the period of innocency and dependency. At the age of eleven certain quality of a human character is  developed which is the first step of losing the childhood and the beginning of adulthood. That is the adolescence stage in human being. Adolescence  is the transitional period in human life as certain physical, emotional and behavioural changes occurs in a human being. A human being developed rational thinking, start to act as a rational being. A human being could understand that the hell and heaven are only imaginary concepts and they don't have any real existence. 

As the age increases a human being could understand the activities of an adult world very perfectly. The poet could learn about the hypocrisy of the adult world that they talk lovingly but act quite differently The poet wants to know by self inquisition that when had he lost his childhood and was that the exact time of losing his childhood when he had begun to act like an adult. 

The poet, as grows up he discovers that he is the owner of his own mind. Because at that period he could think and act according to his own choice and his dependency had gone. The poet realises that was that the exact period of losing his childhood when he could learn to act according to his own choice. The poet finds out the final step of losing his childhood was the growth of of his individual mind. 

At last, the poet wants to know the place,  exactly, where does he leaves his childhood and realises that he might left his childhood in an infant's face where he could never return. 

Summary of the poem:

Stanza 1

The poet starts with a question:"when did my childhood go? ".

The poet wants to find out the exact time of loosing the childhood. The poet asks himself was it the age of eleven, when he developed the ability to rationalise every fact and the ability to differentiate the imaginary and real,may be the exact time of loosing his childhood.The poet  could then rationalised what was hell and what was heaven and understood that they existed only in imagination and they didn't have any geographical identity.The poet could then developed the ability to take his own decisions as to what was good or what was bad for him.

The poet mentions the age of eleven because the age of eleven is the period of transition from childhood to adolescence. The poet says that he might lost  his childhood as he developed his character as a rational being. 

Stanza 2

In this stanza again the poet is questioning "when did my childhood go? ".

The poet asks himself was that the time he had lost his childhood simplicity when he had begun to realise the adult world. The poet was confirmed that he might lost his childhood innocency when he had begun to act as an adult. The poet says he could understand the adult world perfectly that the adults were not doing the same as they talked to do. The poet could understood their hypocrisy and begun to act like them, which may be the first step, he had lost his innocency of his childhood completely.The poet says that might be a great transitional change in his character from childhood to a adulthood. 

Stanza 3

In the third stanza, once again the poet is asking the same question, "when did my childhood go? ".The poet asks himself, was that the period when he had developed his own mind ,as to his ability to take decisions,what was good or what was bad for him, the exact time of loosing his childhood. The poet was confirmed that he had lost his childhood at that moment of time when he had developed his own thoughts and gave up following others. The poet says that that was the period when he could developed his own insights or own intellect which might end up his childhood innocency and dependency completely. 

Stanza 4

In this stanza the poet asks that same question in a different mood that is :"where did my childhood go? ".The poet wanted to confirm his mind that after becoming an adult he had left his childhood long ago in some forgotten phases of life. The poet says that he could not get back that sweet phase of his life but he could see a glimpse of his childhood again in the innocent face of an infant.  

Questions and answers:

1.What according to the poet, is involved in the phase of growing up? 

Answer:According to the poet,three different phases of growing up are involved in loosing childhood. They are the growth of rationality, the growth of hypocrisy in adulthood and the growth of individualism in a human being. 

The growth of rationality

After the age of eleven a human being develops it's character as a rational being.That is a period of transition from childhood to adolescence. One develops the ability to rationalise what is real and what is imaginary. 

At that period one could easily understand the hell and heaven are only imaginary concepts and have no geographical existence, exists only in human mind. 

 

The growth of hypocrisy in adulthood

As the age increases a human being learns and understands the adult world. His mind becomes matured and learns the art of hypocrisy. He begins to act like other adults. That is the second step of becoming matured and Loosing of childhood innocency. 

The growth of individualism

A human being develops his character as an

Individual being which has taken away the childhood completely.Then he develops his ability to think for himself and could work what would be good for himself. A human being could take his own decisions. His childhood character of dependency has lost or gone. He becoms a complete individual. 

2.What is the poet's feeling towards childhood? 

Answer:The poet feels the childhood is the period of innocency, dependency and simplicity. 

3.What do you think are the most poetic lines? Why? 

Answer:The most poetic lines of the poem are "when did my childhood go? "  at beginning of the first three stanzas and "Where did my childhood go? " at beginning of the last stanza, creats a poetic sensibility. In the first three stanzas the poetical term "when" Suggests the  enquiry of the exact time and the term "where" Suggests the enquiry about the place. 

Theme of the poem:

The poet deals with a theme of transitional changes occurred in gradual loss of childhood in human life starts at loosing of innocency, simplicity and dependency and in the process of growing up the development of rationalism, hypocrisy and Individualism. The poet is also deals in a fact that Childhood is lost as a  process growing up in human life and after development of certain qualities in a human being.