Introduction to the Poem
"Keeping Quiet" is a profound call for a moment of global silence and introspection, urging humanity to pause from the chaos of daily life, war, and self-destruction. Through vivid imagery and simple language, Neruda envisions a brief cessation of activity that fosters mutual understanding and peace. The poem, structured in free verse, builds from a collective countdown to twelve, symbolizing a meditative break, and culminates in a hopeful lesson from nature about renewal beneath stillness.
Key Elements
- Setting: A universal, timeless pause on Earth, encompassing diverse human activities like fishing, salt-gathering, and warfare.
- Narrator: The poet as a guide, inviting readers to join in silence for self-reflection and empathy.
- Theme Preview: The transformative power of quietude to heal divisions, reject violence, and appreciate life's vitality.
Context in Flamingo
This poem initiates the poetry section of Flamingo, promoting themes of peace and introspection, aligning with CBSE's emphasis on global awareness and emotional resilience for 2025 exams.
Points to Ponder
- How might a single moment of silence alter human conflicts?
- In a noisy world, what does true stillness reveal about ourselves?
Reprint 2025-26
Full Text & Summary
Summary (English)
In "Keeping Quiet," Pablo Neruda proposes a universal moment of silence by counting to twelve, where humanity halts all speech, movement, and mechanical rush. This "exotic moment" unites people in strangeness, allowing fishermen to spare whales, salt-gatherers to notice their wounds, and warmongers to abandon violence for brotherly idleness. Neruda clarifies that this is not inertness or death-worship but a vital pause to interrupt life's single-minded haste. Such silence could shatter the sadness of self-alienation and self-threat, fostering understanding. Drawing from nature—where apparent death yields to life—the poet urges this introspective break before resuming. The poem, a meditative manifesto, critiques modern frenzy and war, advocating stillness as a path to empathy and renewal. Through simple, evocative images, Neruda envisions silence as a bridge across divides, reminding us that true progress lies in collective reflection rather than ceaseless action. This call resonates in an era of division, emphasizing how pausing reveals interconnectedness and the earth's resilient cycles, ultimately transforming threat into harmony.
सारांश (हिंदी)
"कीपिंग क्वायट" में पाब्लो नेरुदा बारह तक गिनती करके एक सार्वभौमिक मौन का प्रस्ताव रखते हैं, जहाँ मानवता सभी भाषाओं में बोलना, हिलना-डुलना और यांत्रिक भागदौड़ बंद कर दे। यह "विदेशी क्षण" लोगों को अजनबीपन में एकजुट करता है, जहाँ मछुआरे व्हेलों को नुकसान न पहुँचाएँ, नमक इकट्ठा करने वाले अपने घावों को नोटिस करें, और युद्धप्रिय लोग हिंसा छोड़ भाइयों के साथ छायादार निष्क्रियता अपनाएँ। नेरुदा स्पष्ट करते हैं कि यह पूर्ण निष्क्रियता या मृत्यु-पूजा नहीं, बल्कि जीवन की एकतर्फी भागमभाग को बाधित करने वाला महत्वपूर्ण विराम है। ऐसा मौन आत्म-विभ्रम और आत्म-खतरे की उदासी को तोड़ सकता है, समझ विकसित कर सकता है। प्रकृति से सीखते हुए—जहाँ मृत्यु जैसी शांति बाद में जीवन सिद्ध करती है—कवि इस चिंतनशील विराम की सलाह देते हैं, फिर आगे बढ़ने से पहले। यह कविता आधुनिक उन्माद और युद्ध की आलोचना करती है, मौन को सहानुभूति और नवीनीकरण का मार्ग बताती है। सरल, भावपूर्ण चित्रों से नेरुदा मौन को विभाजनों के पुल के रूप में चित्रित करते हैं, याद दिलाते हैं कि सच्ची प्रगति सामूहिक चिंतन में है, न कि निरंतर क्रिया में। यह आह्वान विभाजित युग में गूंजता है, जो दिखाता है कि विराम परस्पर जुड़ाव और पृथ्वी के लचीले चक्रों को उजागर करता है, अंततः खतरे को सद्भाव में बदल देता है।
Full Text
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.
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.
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.
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.
Key Imagery
- Fishermen and whales: Harmony with nature over exploitation.
- Warmongers in clean clothes: Irony of peace amid preparation for destruction.
- Earth's apparent death to life: Symbol of hope and regeneration.
Reprint 2025-26
