KEEPING QUIET

Hello Everyone,

Let us start this new and amazing journey of being apart but staying close to each other. Today’s lesson
is on ‘Keeping Quiet’ by Pablo Neruda, the third poem in your text, Flamingo.

KEEPING QUIET by Pablo Neruda

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 a second,
and not move our arms so much.

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 not look at his hurt hands.

Those who prepare green wars,

wars with gas, wars with fire,
victories with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.

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.
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.

Keeping Quiet is an eloquent piece on peace, humanity, and brotherhood by Pablo Neruda which is as
explosive as it is quiet. In a very calm fashion, Neruda leaves us with a world of wisdom in the poem. His
calmness is cleverly poised (placed in a balanced way) because Neruda figured (understood) that
staunch (very loyal and committed) activism (using vigorous campaigning) was not the best way to get
into the heart and minds of the masses. So, he speaks with much serenity to his readers in the poem
and it is this serenity which creates an aftermath of thought ripples in the minds of the readers as we
feel influenced to act on his message.

Keeping Quiet’s strongest suit (strong point) is that it appeals to the heart of the readers as opposed to
the intellect. Through this poem, Neruda wants his readers to get thinking and pondering as opposed to
stimulating them intellectually.

Now, this is what you are to do:

Go through the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ (given above) and answer the following questions. The
answers need not be long; just enough to give us an idea of your understanding of the poem
and your ability to apply it in your current lives.

1. Read the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ and its explanation from the following link.
https://beamingnotes.com/2017/08/30/line-line-summary-keeping-quiet-pablo-
neruda/
2. Given the rat-race that the modern world is engulfed in, how relevant is the message of
the poet today?
3. Why is it important to give time to oneself?
4. With Corona virus forcing the world into a more self-preserving mode, how do you think
it will affect our minds? Will the current isolation period make us more empathetic or
selfish?
5. Pablo Neruda suggests that we ‘keep still’. Is he speaking of stilling of the mind, body or
both?
6. In the current scenario what is the significance of ‘let’s not speak in any language’? Which
is better-‘let’s not speak in any language’ or ‘speaking in one language’ today? Why?
7. In your opinion, how will children, young adults, adults, middle-aged people and older
people react to the current situation of lockdown in the world? Please give answers for
each category.
8. Record some ‘exotic moments’, as expressed by Neruda, that you have come across in
this period of isolation. You could write about it, make a video, record voices or even
send pictures of such ‘exotic’ moments.
9. Do you think that animals are being less hurt in this period? Substantiate your answer
with some material available on the net in the recent times. An example for you:

VID-20200321-WA0021-Wion.mp4

10. Neruda mentions ‘Those who prepare green wars, wars with gas, wars with fire’. Is the
current situation of the world war-like? What kind of war is it? Why do you think so?
Refer to
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156679666346945&id=669091944&sfns
n=wiwspwa&d=w&vh=i&d=w&vh=i&extid=8deLO3gAlIfNzszr to frame your answer.
11. Take a peep into the future, as you see it, after the world has come out of the period of
isolation and say what changes you foresee in the general attitude of Man?
Do you foresee that the world ‘would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing’?
12. Do you agree with Neruda that ‘What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death’? Explain these lines in the context of the current scenario of
the world.
13. Neruda says, ‘perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.’
Should we work towards pre-empting (take action in order to prevent an anticipated
event/ happening; forestall) the sadness Neruda mentions? How can we do so?
14. What lesson does Earth teach us? Relate your current life situation to this lesson taught
to us by the Earth.
15. Do you believe that a superior power has forced this unusual period in our lives?
What/which is that power? Justify your answer.
16. Enlist all that you have benefited from this period of isolation.
17. Compose a poem/song/rap of 12 lines at least on the current state of affairs. It must
reflect your feelings.
 You may draw ideas from the following poem:

Kathleen O'Meara's poem, 'And People Stayed Home,' written in 1869.

And people stayed home
and read books and listened
and rested and exercised
and made art and played
and learned new ways of being
and stopped
and listened deeper
someone meditated
someone prayed
someone danced
someone met their shadow
and people began to think differently
and people healed
and in the absence of people who lived in ignorant ways,
dangerous, meaningless and heartless,
even the earth began to heal
and when the danger ended
and people found each other
grieved for the dead people
and they made new choices
and dreamed of new visions
and created new ways of life
and healed the earth completely
just as they were healed themselves.

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With that it’s time to say ‘bye’ for today, but not before you hear this! Click on it.

My Wish-Grade XII-March 2020.mp3