Keeping Quiet 12th Eng Question And answer, Vocabulary,

CBSE

Poem-2

KEEPING QUIET BY PABLO 

NERUDA

      

INTRODUCTION.

The poem “Keeping Quiet” written by Pablo Neruda discusses the need of maintaining peace and silence. He stresses upon being quiet and harmless to the human beings, animals and environment. He suggests that in order to maintain peace and harmony, it is required to stop and introspect ourselves.

The poet urges everyone to count to twelve and pause their activities, creating a universal stillness. This moment of quietness, free from the rush and noise of daily life, allows for self- reflection and a deeper understanding of our actions and their impacts.

This poem emphasizes the importance of self- introspection and silence. Furthermore, these two can transform the life of an individual. Moreover, they can also transform the face of the earth. The poet says that self-introspection and silence do not take much time to look within.With this poem, the poet wants us to understand the power of silence and how we can achieve peace and harmony with silence. It is an anti-war poem that asks humanity to stop violence and harming other humans or animals, which could be achieved through self-introspection.

 Q1- What will counting up to twelve and keeping still help us to achieve?     Or

What does the poet want us to do in poem "Keeping Quiet"?

Ans.  Counting up to twelve takes very short time.It helps to introspect and review our activities.It is generally observed that most of the ills and troubles of the world are caused by our rush  and inactivity.Meditation will help to restart our activities afresh in a better manner.Keeping quiet will help  them to become good human being on this earth.

Q2-Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity with death?

Ans.Stillness should not be confused with total inactivity.

Total inactivity brings death. The poet refuses to associate inactivity with death.During meditation we, hear the voice of conscience in moments of silence

It will help us to understand ourselves.Stillness means stopping our harmful activities.

Q3.What is the sadness that the poet,Pablo Neruda refers to in the poem' Keeping Quiet'?

Ans. The sadness that Pablo Neruda is worried about in his poem is the sadness of isolation that has made the man self centred, greedy  and uncaring. 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 life.

Q4-. What are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the poem? What is Neruda's attitude towards these wars?

Ans. The poet is against the wars of all kinds. He wants total stoppage of wars.There are three types of war mentioned in poem.

First Green wars against the environment, second wars with poisonous gases, 3rd wars with fire must be stopped at once.

Q5- What is the exotic moment the poet Pablo neruda wishes for?

        Or

Why does one feel  "a sudden strangeness" on counting up to twelve and keeping quiet?

Ans.It will be a very exciting and beautiful 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.

Q6.Justify the title ‘Keeping Quiet’.

Ans: The title of the poem is quite appropriate and logical. It suggests the necessity of quiet introspection. The people of the world are overactive and always on the move. Their activities have caused untold troubles and sufferings. Keeping quiet will help them to become good human beings. It will save them from many harmful and violent activities.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

The poet refuses to associate with death or deal with it.

Q.7. Why does the poet feel that we should not be so single-minded"?

Ans. People are generally single-minded. They want to focus on only one thing. They want to keep their lives going. They are ever busy in their pursuit. The poet wishes that they would not be so much absorbed with always remaining on the move. They must have some respite or rest. They too need peace or silence.

Q.8 What symbol from Nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under apparent stillness?

Ans. The poet doesn't want us to confuse 'stillness' with 'total inactivity. There can be life under apparent stillness. The post invokes the earth as a living symbol to prove his point. "When everything seems dead... later proves to be alive. The earth near attains total inactivity. Nature remains at work even under apparent stillness and it keeps the earth alive.

Q9. What does the poet want the fisherman, the salt gatherer and war makers to do?

 Ans. The poet hopes that the fishermen will not kill whales. The salt gatherer will cease his work and will get time to look at his bleeding hands. He wants that the war makers should come out in their

best clothes and walk hand in hand with their brothers under the shady trees.

Annotations

1-Exotic- unusual, exciting

2-inactivity- doing nothing

3-Truck with- associated with

4- Interrupt- disturb

5- Threatening- causing a threat

6- strangeness- unusual, surprising

MCQs

Q1- What does the title of the poem suggest?

Ans.Maintenance of silence

Q2- What does the poem speak about?

Ans.The necessity to introspect , understand and have feelings of brotherhood.

Q3- What does counting upto 12 signify and how will it help?

Ans.Hours of the day.

months of a year.it will help to create peace and harmony.

Q4- What is poet's pen name?

Ans.Pablo Neruda.

Q5Why does the poet ask people not to speak?

Ans.Because it creates barriers or obstacles in the form of misunderstanding amongst people

Q6.What is the rhyming scheme used in the poem?

Ans.Free verse

Q7- How will keeping quiet protect our environment?

Ans.By creating peace and brotherhood feelings

Q8- What does number 12 represent?

Ans.hours of the day and months of a year

Q9- What does the poem Keeping Quiet teach us?

Ans.To be peaceful , thoughtful and have feelings of brotherhood

Q10- Not move our arms' what does this expression refer to?

Ans.sitting still without any movement

Q11- What does the earth symbolise?

Ans.Perseverance and new beginning from seemingly stillness

Q12- What is always alive even when everything seems to be dead or still?

Ans.Earth and nature are always alive

Q13- Why is the moment of silence called Exotic?

Ans.Because of perfect peace and harmony

Q14- What is the poet expecting from fishermen?

Ans.To think and stop harming the fish.

Q15- While gathering salt, what will happen to the man if he keep silent for a moment?

Ans.he will think of the harm the salt is doing to his hands..

POEM -3

KEEPING QUIET BY Pablo Neruda 

       

1-Still = motionless, quiet (स्थिर), 

2-Exotic = unusual, strange (विचित्र), 

3-Rush = hurry, haste (जल्दबाज़ी), 

4-Engines = machines, motors (इंजन), 5-Together = united, collectively (साथ में),

6-Strangeness = unfamiliarity, oddity (अजीबता), 

7-Fishermen = anglers, catchers (मछुआरे), 

8-Prepare = ready, arrange (तैयार करना), 9-Survivors = remainers, endure (उत्तरजीवी), 10-Shade = shadow, shelter (छाया), 11-Confused = unclear, mixed-up (भ्रमित), 12-Inactivity = idleness, stillness (निष्क्रियता),

13-Single-minded = focused, determined (एकाग्र), 

14-Sadness = sorrow, unhappiness (दुःख), 15-Interrupt = disturb, halt (विघ्नित करना), 16-Teach = educate, instruct (सिखाना), 

17-Alive = living, breathing (जीवित), 

18-Quiet = silent, still (शांत)

19-For once - single one एक बार

POETIC DEVICES

Stanza 1

1-Assonance: Use of vowel sound 'o' and 'e' (Now we will count to twelve, not move our arms so much)

use of vowel 'o' (victory with no survivors, would put on clean clothes and walk about with their brothers)

2-Anaphora: Two consecutive lines starting with the word 'Let's'

 let's not speak in any language,

 let's stop for one second,

3-Personification- for once on the face of the earth,perhaps the Earth can teach us

4-Pun- A pun is a figure of speech that plays with words that have multiple meanings, or that plays with words that sound similar but meaning different 

arms having two meanings-weapons and body limb

5- 'Alliteration - The repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighbouring words or syllables.

• Now we will count to twelve 

• and we will all keep still

• we would all be together 

• in a sudden strangeness 

• would look at his hurt hands

6-Repetition-without rush, without engines

Repetition: use of 'war'

7-enjambment: and for once could perhaps a huge silence........of threatening ourselves with death.

8-Antithesis - It is a figure of speech that places two completely contrasting ideas or clauses next to one another.

• Now we will count to twelve and we will all keep still.

• as when everything seems dead and later proves to be alive.

9-Symbolism - The use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities, by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense.

Now we will count to twelve (The number twelve symbolises twelve hours of the day or twelve months of the year).

Keeping Quiet 

Questions and answers, introduction 

https://englishscholarhubclgautam.blogspot.com/2024/07/keeping-quiet-12th-eng-core-questions.html

Keeping Quiet - Extracts

https://englishscholarhubclgautam.blogspot.com/2024/04/12-eng-flamingo-poem-3-keeping-quiet-by.html

By CL GAUTAM