keeping quiet summary

(PDF) Keeping Quiet Summary, Difficult Words & Explanation | Flamingo Book – Question Answers Class 12

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The poem is composed by one of the finest poets, Pablo Neruda. The poem gives great value to meditation and self-introspection which helps a person to understand himself very deeply. Check out –  Keeping Quiet Summary, Difficult Words, and Stanza-wise Explanation as well as a free video lecture

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#1. Human being needs to learn a lesson from

#2. What is the sadness in the poem that the poet refers to?

#3. When was Pablo Neruda born?

#4. The poem has originally been written in

#5. Who is the poet of Keeping Quiet?

#6. According to the poet wars that are fought have no

#7. The last line of the poem is

#8. What is the poet advising the fishermen?

#9. What is the rhyming scheme used in the poem?

#10. What is always alive even when everything seems to be dead or still?

#11. Not move our arms’ what does this expression mean?

#12. Pablo Neruda died in

#13. What does hurt hand refer to ?

#14. Which images in the poem show that the poet condemns or hate violence?

#15. What does the earth symbolise?

#16. What does the title of the poem suggest?

#17. Why does the poet request people to keep quiet?

#18. How will silence spread positivity on man and nature?

#19. According to Neruda, what creates differences among human beings?

#20. What does number 12 represent?

#21. ‘Have no truck with death’ means

#22. How long is the poet expecting everyone to count?

#23. The poet advocates the balance of nature to be

#24. What is the message in the poem, keeping quiet?

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

#26. How will keeping quiet protect our environment?

#27. Why is the poet asking everyone not to speak any language?

#28. Why does the poet request people to keep quiet?

#29. Pablo Neruda was honoured with Noble Prize in

#30. What is destroying the environment?

#31. Why is the moment of silence called Exotic?

#32. Without rush, without engines’ refers to

#33. What will happen if there are no engines and no crowd?

#34. Where would they be walking?

#35. What does counting up to 12 help us to achieve?

#36. What can human beings learn from nature?

#37. What are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the poem?

#38. What is the poetic device used in the phrase ‘we would?’

#39. What should not be confused with total inactivity or death?

#40. The types of wars the poet talks about

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1. Keeping Quiet About the Poet

Pablo Neruda was born on July 12th, 1904 at Parral in Chile. He is better known by his pen name Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto and later acquired the legal name, Pablo Neruda.

He was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who was honoured with Nobel Prize in 1971 for his best contribution to literature. 

He had a keen interest in writing and became a poet at the early age of 13 only and served the people and nation with his unique art of writing.

This poem was first written in the Spanish language. His writings are simple, engaging, and powerful. He left us on  Sept. 23rd,1973.

Keeping Quiet Summary Video

Video Credit : Simran Sahni Youtube Channel

Keeping Quiet Theme

Pablo Neruda wants to drop here a valuable message of self-introspection or meditation. The poem is a source to spread peace all around and create a feeling of mutual understanding.

keeping quiet summary

Keeping Quiet Summary Stanza Wise

3. Keeping Quiet Stanza I

  Now, we will count to twelve ……..Our arms so much.

3.1 Main Points:

  • Count to twelve
  • Keep still with no noise
  • Don’t speak in any language
  • Stop for a moment
  • Don’t move your arms

3.2 Keeping Quiet Word Meaning

  • Keep  Still-  शांत रहना

3.3 Explanation: 

The poet asks us to count twelve and be quiet to spread peace all around. He further says not to speak any language because language creates differences and brings distance between the two.

We must stay calm and pleasant without moving our arms so much. The poet wants to develop an inner understanding.

4. Keeping Quiet Stanza II

It would be an exotic moment ……… in a sudden strangeness.

4.1 Main Points:

  • Exotic moment
  • No rush and engines
  • The feeling of mutual understanding
  • Creating a new environment

4.2 Keeping Quiet Difficult Words Meaning 

  • Exotic (unique) अनोखा
  • Rush (crowd) भीड़
  • Strangeness (unfamiliarity) विचित्रता

 4.3 Explanation:

In this second stanza, the poet is very much tired of the material world where people are stuck and suffer a lot. He wants us to connect with the spiritual world.

There would be an exotic moment if no engines are on and people are not in a hurry to achieve material things. We would all be enjoying the calmness of the world with great happiness and contentment.

Keeping Quiet MCQs

1.When was Pablo Neruda born?

  1. July 12th, 1904 at Parral in Chile
  2. July 14th, 1804, at Kensington, London
  3. August 12, 1908. at Malabar, Kerla
  4. NOT

2. What is the message in the poem?

  1. Social  injustice and class inequalities
  2. Inactive and death
  3. Value  of  society
  4. Value of meditation and self – introspection

3. What does counting up to 12 help us to achieve?

  1. Peace of mind
  2. Earn a lot of money
  3. Promotion in job
  4. Traffic solution

4. What can human beings learn from nature?

  1. Working with peace
  2. To increase beauty
  3. To live together
  4. NOT

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

  1. Earth
  2. Sun
  3. Moon
  4. Stars

6. What are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the poem?

  1.  War against humanity
  2.  War against nature
  3. War with gases and fire
  4. All these

7. How will silence spread positivity about man and nature?

  1. Both will be friends
  2. Man will know nature better
  3. Man will be healthy
  4. Man will stop hurting nature and both will heal themselves

8. Which images in the poem show that the poet condemns or hates violence?

  1. fishermen not harming whales
  2. wars leaving behind no survivors to celebrate
  3. poet’s refusal to deal with death
  4. All these

9. What is the poet advising the fishermen?

  1. To catch more fishes
  2. To dive deeper into the sea
  3. To think and stop harming the fish
  4. NOT

10. What does hurt hand refer to?

  1.  Growing needs of the man
  2. growing greed of man
  3.  unfulfilled desires
  4.  growing insensitivity of men to pain

11. Why is the poet asking everyone not to speak any language?

  1. To avoid noise
  2.  To avoid loud voices
  3.  To avoid people
  4.  To avoid conflicts and misunderstandings

12. How long is the poet expecting everyone to count?

  1.  for 10 minutes
  2. for 12 minutes
  3. for 15 minutes
  4.  for 1 second till we count 12

13. The poem has originally been written in

  1. Spanish language
  2. Swedish language
  3. German language
  4. English language

14. According to Neruda, what creates differences among human beings?

  1. Humility
  2. Humanity
  3. Languages
  4. NOT

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

  1. Free verse
  2. Enclosed rhyme
  3. Monorhyme
  4. Sonnet

16. How will keeping quiet protect our environment?

  1. By creating peace and brotherhood feelings
  2. No noise will be there
  3. People will not fight
  4. NOT

17. Why is the moment of silence called Exotic?

  1. Because of the beautiful scenery around
  2. Because of the gathering
  3. Because of a large gathering
  4. Because of perfect peace and harmony

18. What does the number 12 represent?

  1. Hours of the day and months of a year
  2. Earth
  3. Clock
  4. Cricket players

19. Why does the poet request people to keep quiet?

  1. To maintain silence
  2. To avoid noise
  3.  To be friendly
  4.  In the hope of becoming more thoughtful and peaceful

20. What will happen if there are no engines and no crowd?

  1. Noise will be lessened
  2. No crowd on roads
  3. No traffic rush
  4. It will create a perfect, happy moment

21. What is the sadness in the poem that the poet refers to?

  1. violence because of the unthoughtfulness of the people
  2. unnecessary movements
  3. speaking aloud
  4.  fighting

22. What does the earth symbolise?

  1. perseverance and a new beginning from seeming stillness
  2. Stillness
  3. Greenery
  4. prosperity

23. Why does the poet request people to keep quiet?

  1.  To maintain silence
  2. To avoid noise
  3.  In the hope of becoming more thoughtful and peaceful
  4. To be friendly

24. What is always alive even when everything seems to be dead or still?

  1. Mountains
  2. Rivers
  3. Sun
  4. Earth and nature are always alive

25. Human being needs to learn a lesson from

  1. Nature
  2. Earth
  3. Moon
  4. Sun

26. The last line of the poem is

  1. and you keep quiet and I will go
  2. and later proves to be alive
  3. life is what it is about
  4. I want no truck with death

27. Without rush, without engines’ refers to

  1.  no noise
  2.  no hurry to go to the office
  3.  no travelling
  4.  no holidaying

28. According to the poet wars that are fought have no

  1. survivors
  2. Soldiers
  3. Weapons
  4. fighter planes

29. The poet advocates the balance of nature to be

  1. maintained
  2. Destroyed
  3. temporarily disturbed
  4. ignored

30.‘Have no truck with death means
 

  1. will not die in the truck accident
  2.  remove poverty and illiteracy
  3. have no association with or deal with death
  4.  will not drive a truck

31. Not move our arms’ what does this expression mean?

  1. sit quietly
  2. stand quietly
  3. to be inactive
  4. sitting still without any movement

32. What does the title of the poem suggest?

  1. Inactivity
  2. Noise
  3. unhappiness
  4. Maintenance of silence

33. The types of wars the poet talks about

  1. green wars, wars with gas, wars with fire
  2.  verbal wars
  3.  technological warfare
  4. nuclear wars

34. What should not be confused with total inactivity or death?

  1. no movement
  2. a statue
  3. talking people
  4. Stillness and silence

35. What is destroying the environment?

  1. Unthoughtful actions
  2. Violent actions
  3. Speaking without thinking
  4. Above all

36. Where would they be walking?

  1. in the park
  2.  along the river
  3. in the shade
  4.  on the road

37. Pablo Neruda was honoured with Noble Prize in

  1. 1871
  2. 1971
  3. 1895
  4. NOT

38. Pablo Neruda died in

  1. 1973
  2. 1995
  3. 1978
  4. 1976

39. Who is the poet of Keeping Quiet?

  1. Elizabeth
  2. Khushwant Singh
  3. John Keats
  4. NOT

40. What is the poetic device used in the phrase ‘we would?’

  1. Assonance
  2. Alliteration
  3. Repetition
  4. NOT

Keeping Quiet MCQs Answer Sheet

1. A11.D21.A31.D
2. D12.D22.A32.D
3.A13.B23.C33.A
4. A14.C24.D34.D
5. A15.A25.B35.D
6. C16.A26.A36.C
7.D17.D27.A37.B
8.D18.A28.A38.A
9. C19.D29.A39.D
10. D20.D30.C40.B

Keeping Quiet MCQs Video Lecture

5. Keeping Quiet Stanza III

Fisherman in the cold sea ……… his hurt hands.

5.1 Main Ponts:

  • Fisherman rest for some while
  • Don’t harm whales
  • Man collecting salt should take care of hurting hands

 5.2 Explanation:

The poet further urges the fishermen not to harm whales in the cold sea because he does not want to promote animal killing for food or trading. The poet asks us to slow down our life and observe our achievements and losses.

We must save a little time for ourselves. The man gathering the salt should care for his injured hands. Doing the job is necessary for livelihood but cut a little time for yourself too.

 6. Keeping Quiet Stanza IV

Those who prepare …….. doing nothing.

6.1 Main Points:

  • Don’t war with gas and fire
  • Remove the dirty army dress
  • Spend time with your brother
  • Do nothing

6.2 Explanation:

In this fourth stanza, the poet is deeply concerned with silence and self-understanding. He never wants the people to war with weapons or gases.

He says that there is no benefit in war because many are martyred, many become homeless and many women lose their sons and husbands. War always destroys people.

He requests all the soldiers to put in new and clean clothes and spend some time with their brothers. The poet says that sometimes doing nothing is better than doing many things. 

7. Keeping Quiet Stanza V

What I want should not be …….. ourselves with death.

7.1 Main Points:

  • Don’t get confused about your life
  • Total inactivity and death
  • Give rest to yourself
  • Spread peace all around

7.2 Keeping Quiet Word Meaning

  • Inactivity- (inaction) निष्क्रियता।
  • No truck with-  (no involvement) कोई लेना देना नहीं।
  • Single-minded- (having single focus) एकाग्र
  • Interrupt- (disturb) बाधा डालना
  • Threatening- (sinister) धमकी भरा

 7.3 Explanation:

The poet never promotes inactivity and death. The people should not confuse the meaning of peace. He says that we must be constant and focused in our life.

We must understand the meaning of life and try to connect ourselves with the spiritual world. The poet urges us to observe and understand ourselves with the acceptance of universal death. Peace in life can make our life happier.

 8. Keeping Quiet Stanza VI

Perhaps the Earth …….. I will go

8.1 Main Points:

  • Earth gives the lesson of mutual understanding
  • I will count
  • Keep quiet

8.2 Explanation:

In the last stanza, the poet wants to give us a very important lesson by introducing the example of the earth. He says Earth never divides us. It gives us beautiful nature too and provides an integrated world.

The winter comes and everything freezes and becomes lifeless, but everything comes back to normal with the change in season. Hence, we must keep calm and patient in our life.

Finally, he winds up his words by saying ‘I will go.’ The complete poem asserts the value of self-introspection and meditation that makes our life more loveable and crispy.

9. Keeping Quiet Pablo Neruda Summary

The beautiful poem, Keeping Quiet has been written by Noble Prize winner poet, Pablo Neruda. The poet wants to talk about the importance of quietness which develops a feeling of mutual understanding among human beings.

It is an anti-war poem where the poet is deeply concerned about silence and self-understanding. He asks us to slow down our lives to make them more peaceful and enjoyable.

In the first stanza, the poet asks us to count to twelve and keep quiet because we can better understand this condition. He recommends not speaking any language and not moving the arms so much because it can disturb the silence of life.

There should be a pure environment without a rush. The people must be threaded with peace and love. He wants to create an exotic moment where there is no traffic and noisy environment and life is very smooth.

The poet asks the fishermen not to harm whales in the silent sea. The salt-gathering labourers should care for their injured hands. We should not keep the thought of revenge in our minds because it creates a disturbance in our life.

He is also against wars because it only destroys the peace of life and many people become homeless. Many women lose their husbands or son. The soldiers must take off their army dress and spend some time with their loved ones.  

The poet does not advocate total inactivity and death. He simply wants people to understand the meaning of life. The people must be focused and steady in life with the acceptance of universal death.

 The poet introduces the example of the Earth which is the biggest symbol of peace and harmony. The sadness that the poet refers to in the poem is not understanding the self. The poem is very much successful to spread peace all around. 

Keeping Quiet Summary
Keeping Quiet Summary

10. Keeping Quiet Question Answers

 1. What will counting up to twelve and keeping still help us to achieve?

Counting up to twelve and keeping still help us to achieve peace of mind and the meaning of life. We can also analyse our achievements and losses that help us to grow in the future. It brings happiness and prosperous life.

 2. Do you think that the poet advocates total inactivity and death?

=No, the poet does not advocate total inactivity and death. He only wants to establish peace all around where there is no war and destruction. He says that a person must be focused and dedicated to his work but cut off some moments for himself to realise his internal beauty and charm.

 3. What is the sadness that the poet refers to in the poem?

=The poet’s sadness in the poem is that the people do not understand one another and disturb the peace of life. We are in a hurry without caring about our achievements and losses. We are not in a position to keep our minds calm and hence we create a disturbance in the peace of life.

 4. What symbol from Nature does the poet refer to in the poem?

The poet takes the example of the Earth which is the source of everlasting patience and hope. It always throws back life with all simplicity and charm. The earth is never inactive and stays continue to face all the even and odd phase of the season in the hope of a better life.

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