Keeping Quiet

Keeping Quiet Summary

About the Poet - Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda (1904 – 1973) was the ‘pen name’ and later, ‘legal name’ of this famous Chilean poet – diplomat – politician. He won the Noble prize for literature in the year 1971. He wrote in green ink which was his personal symbol for desire and hope.  His writings are simple, wherein lies their beauty.
Originally written in Spanish, the essence of this poem is based on introspection and retrospection. The poet feels that some soul – searching is needed for us to be at peace with ourselves and others.

Keeping Quiet Summary

“Keeping Quiet” is a peace poem written by the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. The poet asks humanity to count numbers from one to twelve - twelve being the number of hours shown in a clock or the number of zodiac signs. He requests everyone not to speak because languages create barriers between people. The moment when everyone stops moving their body will be very special and different as we have never experienced such a moment before.
The poet says that in this period of inactivity the fishermen would not harm the whales, the salt gatherers will not hurt their hands, those who are busy destroying the nature will adopt a new approach towards life, The men who are preparing for wars and victory based on deaths of innocent people will join their enemy and stand in unity with them, doing nothing. No one will harm himself or any other person. Everyone will unite and ponder upon his acts and realize the results of his deeds.
The poet clarifies his idea and says further that he does not want that people should stand idle. He wants that there should be no war because he does not want to see trucks laden with dead bodies of the soldiers. He is promoting Universal brotherhood and peace.
The poet says that everyone is working continuously, to achieve one’s goals. People are threatened by death and the fear forces them to work endlessly so that they can achieve everything quickly. In this mad rush, they do not realize the repurcutions of their acts. He wants us to pause and come out of the mad rush. He wants us to be happy about our achivements and celebrate them. He wants us to overcome the fear of death and to relax for a while. We should know the results of our deeds and celebrate our achievements.

When the people will remain quiet for a while, they will realize the purpose of their lives. Just like all the creations of nature undergo a rebirth with the change of seasons, similary, keeping quiet will be a rebirth for the human soul. It will give a new meaning to our life. Again, the poet says that he will count till twelve and asks everyone to remain quiet while he leaves.

First stanza
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.

Keeping Quiet Explanation

1. The poet asks everyone to count up to twelve in their mind. The number twelve represents the hours of the day or the months of a year.
2. He wants all of us to be calm and still.
3. People across the nations have to unite together, so, they shall not speak their own languages, rather they all shall keep quiet and speak the language of silence.
4. This will bring unity among all the humans on the face of the Earth.
5. For at least one moment, no one shall move his arms either to signal, or to fight, or argue with each other.

Second stanza
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.

Explanation
When everything will come to a standstill, it will be a rare situation.

1. No one will be in a rush, there will be no engines running.
2. Everyone will be calm and quiet, united with each other in a strange atmosphere.
3. It will be strange because it has never happened earlier.
4.  No person would be harming any other living being either for food or to earn his livelihood.
5. All the people who work endlessly will get some time to look at their injuries and the damage they have caused to their body.

Third stanza
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.
What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.


Explanation

1. The people who exploit the green wealth of nature by deforestation, or mining, or fishing in the deep seas and the soldiers who use weapons to kill fellow human beings need some time to introspect into the consequences of their actions. They are merely doing their job or following orders.
2.  He wants them to put on ‘new clothes’ i.e. to adopt a new approach towards life and to realize that killing so many people is not a victory.
3.  He wants all of us to be united as one, consider our enemy to be our brother.
4.  He is promoting brotherhood, peace and unity.
5.  He does not want us to stop our works but to take some time and analyze the results of our deeds.

Fourth stanza
If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could perhaps a huge silence       
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.


Explanation

1. All human beings work endlessly with the aim of  completing all their tasks.
2. They are driven by the target of survival and the threat of death.
3. So they are in a mad rush to accomplish all  their  works.
4. He says that perhaps, if they pause for a while, they can appreciate their achievements and their lives would become happier.
5. He suggests that by keeping quiet, we will be able to understand the true purpose of our life.

Fifth stanza
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.


Explanation
The poet suggests us to take a teaching from nature.

1. As the Earth undergoes changes, in winter, everything freezes, becomes lifeless but after some time, the season changes again, and everything comes back to life.
2. Similarly, taking a pause and introspecting into our lives will give it a new meaning. We will be able to understand the purpose of our life. It will be like a re birth of the soul.
3. The poet has conveyed to all the people the purpose of his message and so, he asks them once again to take a pause, count till twelve and walks out of the scene, keeping the scene open for all the people on the Earth to experience this for times to come.