Pablo Neruda's poem "Keeping Quiet" urges readers to take a moment of quiet introspection. It suggests that being still and ceasing destructive activities like violent wars could foster mutual understanding between humans. Neruda advocates stopping motions like speech that can breed conflict, and enjoying a strange, exotic moment of togetherness without noise or movement. This quiet reflection could help people understand themselves and humanity's strengths, rather than engaging in meaningless wars that leave no survivors.

1. KEEPING QUIET
By Pablo Neruda
(1904-1973)
.
THEME: Necessity of quiet introspection and creating
a feeling of mutual understanding among humans.
The Emphasis on meditation

2. • Pablo Neruda was a Nobel Prize–winning Chilean poet
who was once called "the greatest poet of the 20th
century in any language."
• Born in Parral, Chile, on July 12, 1904, poet Pablo
Neruda stirred controversy with his affiliation with the
Communist Party and his outspoken support of Joseph
Stalin, Fulgencio Batista and Fidel Castro. His poetic
mastery was never in doubt, and for it he was awarded
the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. Neruda died on
September 23, 1973, with subsequent investigations
exploring whether he might have been poisoned.

3. KEEPING QUIET
The poet Pablo Neruda requests readers to keep
quiet till he counts up to twelve so that they meditate
and retrospect.
He requests us not to use any language and not
move our arms so much for a while as it will become
a hurdle in keeping quiet.
He says speech can breed contempt, hatred and
discrimination.
Man moves his arms to show aggression, to kill and
destroy others.

4. The moment everything
is quiet would be an exotic
moment, because man
would not be rushing or
hurrying about.
When there is no rush or
hurry for a second. Engines
and other machines will
stop for a moment.
That moment will be a fascinating moment for all of us. Then all
of us shall enjoy the sudden strangeness of the moment together.
No rush, no movement and noise of engines, the threat of
sudden strangeness will tie all of us together into an exotic
moment. It would bring in a feeling of brotherhood and
inexplicable peace.

5. • Fisherman in the cold sea catch fish especially the whales.
They endanger the environment by killing the whales. The
poet wants that the fishermen would not harm the whales in
the cold sea of the polar regions.
• The poet tells the men collecting salt , to stop over exploiting
the nature. The man gathering salt continues gathering salt
forgetting even to examine his hurt hands.
• This will bring about a relief to the fishermen in the cold sea
and the salt gatherer also will be able to look after their
injured bleeding hands.

6. • Wars of any kind causes hatred, sadness and destruction. All kinds of wars
must be stopped at once. The green wars against the environment, wars
with poisonous gases and wars with fire-arms must be stopped now. This
refers to the chemical and nuclear weapons. The poet hopes for an end of
these wars.
• In such wars, victory is meaningless as there are no survivors left after the
war.
• The politicians and the scientists should meditate and introspect , think
clearly, and realise the strength of humanity. Instead of fighting and waging
wars, people should come out in their best dresses. They must go out for a
walk with their brothers. They must move about under the shady trees and
enjoy doing nothing.
• A good sense will also prevail on the war-mongers as they will understand
the futility of the same

7. • .
• Life is a continuous process and it must go on . When there is a
total inactivity there will be a halt, which is unrealistic.
• When man thinks only of his personal achievements and progress
without involving anyone or thinking about anyone , he thinks
single mindedly. In his personal pursuit he is even forgetting his
emotional needs. This has made him sad and lonely.
• The poet wants the people to stop all destructive activities,
meditate and introspect on all their follies.
• The poet Pablo Neruda urges us that when man indulges in
destructive activities , for personal gain , he forgets that he is an
inhabitant of the earth and his activities can be responsible for his
death.

8. • The poet does not want that we should confuse
‘stillness’ with ‘total inactivity. Doing nothing at all
would amount to death. We should not be always
on the move. For a while we should also take rest.
• A long silence can do us a lot of good. Men become
sad when they fail to understand themselves. They
feel helpless when they threaten themselves with
death. A long silence can soothe our feelings and
help us in removing this sadness.

9. • Mother Earth can teach us a lesson. It rejuvenates after total
annihilation. New life emerges from the dead remains.
• Greed and selfishness have replaced unity, love and brotherhood.
• When Man keeps quiet
The achievement of mental peace will lead us to introspection and
mutual understanding.
• The absence of these two traits amounts to various conflicts in the
world.
• With the development of mutual understanding comes empathy
and then our life becomes a pleasant experience.
• The poet says like the earth the potentials may not be exhibited all
the time. Finally, he declares his departure will persuade us to
keep quiet.

10. • Keeping quiet and discharging our duties peacefully
will evolve better understanding in us.
• Poetic devices
• Personification- Perhaps the Earth can teach us
• Alliteration - sudden strangeness, hurt hands,
clean clothes, sudden strangeness
• Metaphor- put on clean clothes, in the shade
• Imagery – cold sea