Pablo Neruda was a Chilean poet born in 1904 who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. In this poem, Neruda advocates for quiet introspection and mutual understanding between humans to overcome sadness, hatred, and war. He asks people to remain still and silent for 12 seconds to find inner peace and stop destructive conflicts from lack of reflection and empathy for others. Neruda believes nature can teach humanity valuable lessons if people look inward and understand each other instead of only prioritizing individual goals and activities.

3. (July 1904 – September 1973)
(July 1904 –
September
1973)

4. PABLO NERUDA

5.  He was born in 1904 in Parral, Chile,
South America. His father was a railway
employee and his mother was a teacher. He
Studied in the University of Chile. He won
Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. In this
poem, Neruda talks about the necessity of
quiet introspection and creating a feeling of
mutual understanding among human beings.

6.  Profile

8. 1. Bird
2. A Dog has Died
3. A Lemon
4. A Song of Despair
5. Absence
6. Brown and Agile Chile
7. Cat’s Dream

9. Necessity of quiet introspection
and creating a feeling of mutual
understand among human beings.
Sub - Theme
Horror of war and how they affect the
World peace.

10. In our present day fast-moving lifestyle,
we people are least concerned about our own
inner self and instead keep finding faults in
others. We fail to understand our fellow-
beings and in its place, we develop hatred
towards them. Today, we have reached a
stage where we need to find the cause of
sadness and the void that has filled the
major part of our life. Our lives today are
all about wars and misunderstandings,
because we have no time to look within and
introspect.

11. 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.

12. 1. What does the poet ask people to
do?
2. Why did he ask the people to do
so?
3.What will counting upto twelve and
keeping still, help us achieve?

13. 1. The poet asks people to keep quiet
to a count of twelve seconds
without talking and moving.
2. He asked them to do so, so that
they can meditate and introspect.
3. I will help us achieve peace and
stop wars.

14. It would be an exotic moment
Without rush, without engines,
We would all be together
In a sudden strangeness.

15. 1. What would be an exotic moment?
2. Why would it be and exotic moment?
3. Why would there be a sudden strangeness?
4. What do you mean by ‘exotic moment’?

16. 1. The moment everything would be still and quiet wouldbe an exotic moment.
2. It would be an exotic moment because during this time man would not be hurrying and
rushing about andthere wouldbe totalsilence.
3. There would be a sudden strangeness because man understands the feelings of his fellow-
beings and the peace would envelopeveryone.
4. Man gets used to live in a busy and hurry world. He never gets a chance of living a peaceful
life andnever understands his fellow-beings.

17. Fishermen in the cold sea
Would not harm whales
And the man gathering salt
Would look at his hurt hands.

20. The skeleton of a whale in a museum

21.  Blue whales grow to be about 94 feet (20 m) long on average, weighing about 174 tons (158 tonnes). The
females are larger than males. It has a heart that weighs about 1,000 pounds (450 kg) and has 14,000
pounds (6,400 kg) of blood circulating in its body. The heart is about the size of a Volks wagon bug car.
A humancouldcrawl throughtheaorta(amajorbloodvessel).
 The blue whale has about 320 pairs of black baleen plates with dark gray bristles jaws. They are about
39 inches long (1 m), 21 inches wide (53 cm), and weigh 200 pounds (90 kg). The tongue weighs 4 tons
(3.8tonnes).
 An average-sized blue whale will eat 2,000-9,000 pounds (900-4100 kg) of plankton each day during the
summerfeedingseasonincold, arcticwaters( about120 days).
 Blue whales are very fast swimmers; they normally swim 3-20 mph (4.8-32 kph). Its sound can be heard
aroundthreekilometersin thesea.
 Bluewhaleshavea lifeexpectancyof 35-40years.

24. 1. What do fishermen in the cold sea do?
2. What do the fishermen do when they are not
quiet and do not introspect?
3. What is the man gathering salt forced to do?

25. 1. Fishermen in the cold sea catch fish and in
particular the whales.
2. The fishermen in the cold sea endanger
the environment by catching whales.
3. He keeps collecting a large amount of salt
forgetting to even examine the pain he is
causing to himself.

26. Those who prepare green wars,
Wars with gas, wars with fire,
Victory with not survivors,
Would put on clean clothes
And walk about with their
Brothers
In the shade, doing nothing.

27. Soldiers

31. 1. What do mean by ‘green wars’?
2. Who prepares green wars?
3. What are green wars with gas and fire?
4. Explain ‘victory with no survivors’.

32. 1. It means wars against nature and environment.
2. Politicians and scientists prepare green wars.
3. Wars with gas and fire refer to the chemical
and nuclear weapon.
4. Man fights for victory, but this victory would be
of no use as there would be no survivors to
celebrate his victory.

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

34. 1. What does the poet want the people to do?
2. What does the poet mean by ‘total inactivity’?
3. What is life all about?
4. Explain ‘ I want no truck with death’?

35. 1. The poet wants people to stop all destructive activities,
meditate, introspect and realise their mistakes.
2. He means a period of time in which nothing is done
worthwhile.
3. Life is continuous process. It must go on.
4. The poet says that when speaks about silence and
introspection, it should not be associated with death.
He does not want to say that.

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

37. 1. What do you mean by ‘single-minded’?
2. How will a huge silence interrupt this sadness?
3. Explain‘this sadness of never understandingourselves’.
4. How do we threaten ourselves withdeath?

38. 1. It is thinking selflessly only about one’s personal
achievements and progress without involving anyone.
2. In huge silence one will stop all his destructive activities.
He is then forced to think and introspect and helps
himself free from sadness.
3. Man in his pursuit for personal gain has forgotten his
emotional needs. This continuous mindless activity
leaves him sad and lonely.
4. Man indulges himself in destructive activities and this
activities can be responsible for his death.

39. Perhaps the Earth can teach us
As when everything seems dead
And later proves to be alive.
Now I’ll count twelve
And you keep quiet and I will go.

40. 1. Who can teach us a lesson?
2. What lesson can mother earth teach
us?
3. Compare the first two lines and the last
two lines of the poem?

41. 1.Our mother earth can teach us a lesson.
2.Mother earth rejuvenate even after total
annihilation. New life emerges from the dead
remains. Man can also start a new life even after
total destruction.
3.In the first two lines, the poet involves himself by
using the word ‘we’, but in the last two lines, by
using the word ‘I’, he leaves the decision to the
reader.

42. Alliteration:
It is the repeated beginning sound of two or three
words.
we will
we would
sudden strangeness
hurt hands
wars with
clean clothes

43. THANK YOU