Keeping Quiet Question Answers is one of the important topics for the upcoming HS Final Exam. Hey everyone! Welcome to the Assamese Medium educational website.
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As you prepare for your upcoming HS 2024 Final exams, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the chapters and topics that will be assessed. One such chapter is “Keeping Quiet.” In this article, we will provide a comprehensive question-answer guide to help you understand and effectively answer questions related to the chapter. So, let’s dive in and unlock the insights of “Keeping Quiet.”
Keeping Quiet – Chapter Overview
“Keeping Quiet” is a thought-provoking poem by Pablo Neruda, a renowned Chilean poet. The poem encourages readers to pause, reflect, and consider the power of silence in a chaotic world. It delves into the consequences of human actions and highlights the importance of unity, understanding, and introspection.
Summary of Keeping Quiet Class 12 English
The poem highlights the importance of silence and self-reflection. The poet believes that in our busy lives, silence can accomplish what noise and chaos cannot. By taking a few moments to be still and quiet, counting to twelve, we can delve into our inner thoughts and truly understand ourselves.
The poet encourages us to appreciate the value of silence and its ability to bring unity and peace. Through introspection, individuals can experience positive changes. Fishermen may stop harming whales, those gathering salt may recognize the harm to their own hands and cease their actions, and those preparing for battles may pause to prioritize peace and companionship.
The poet clarifies that silence doesn’t mean complete inactivity, but rather a temporary break from our fast-paced lives to reflect on our thoughts. Just as the Earth goes through quiet seasons before blossoming anew, individuals can find renewed energy and a fresh perspective through moments of introspection.
The poet emphasizes the continuous movement of life but stresses the need to understand ourselves in silence. By doing so, we can navigate challenges and achieve success. The poem concludes with a reminder to learn from the Earth’s example and embrace the transformative power of silence, bidding farewell by counting to twelve.
Keeping Quiet Question Answer – Long Type
1. What will counting up to twelve and keeping still help us achieve?
Or
How will counting up to twelve and keeping still help us?
Answer:- The poet urges us to count up to twelve and keep still. Perhaps ‘twelve’ here represents the twelve-hour- mark on the clock. Most of the ills and troubles of the world are caused because of our rush and hurry. Keeping still will give us the necessary respite for peace.
2. Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death?
Answer:- No, he doesn’t. He makes it very clear that ‘stillness’ should not be confused and equated with ‘total inactivity’. Total inactivity brings death. But Neruda has ‘no truck with death’. His stillness means cessation of hostile and harmful human activities.
3. What is the ‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem?
Answer:- Man’s sadness is formed out of his own thinking and actions. This is the tragedy of man. He understands so much but fails to understand himself and his actions. His rush and hurry case trouble. Man is the author of all disasters. Due to his thinking and actions, he is always threatening himself with death.
4. What symbols from Nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under apparent stillness?
Answer:- The poet doesn’t want us to confuse ‘stillness’ with ‘total inactivity’. There can be life under apparent stillness. The poet invokes the earth as a living symbol to prove his point. ‘When everything seems dead….. Later proves to be alive. The earth never attains total inactivity. Nature remains at work even under apparent stillness and it keeps the earth alive.
Keeping Quiet Question Answer – Short Type
1. Why does Pablo Neruda urge us to keep still?
Answer:- Pablo Neruda considers that indecent haste and activities lead humanity to wars, violence and death. He urges us to keep still to enjoy a few moments of peace, rest and tranquillity. Sometimes keeping still gives us much-needed respite.
2. How can the suspension of activities help?
Answer:- Man’s indecent haste has already caused a lot of problems. His activities have given birth only to chaos, war, violence and miseries. Suspension of human activities can help in restoring the environment and health of this world. Suspension of undue haste and rush can help in bringing peace and tranquillity in the troubled world.
3. Why shouldn’t we speak in any language and move our arms so much?
Answer:- People of this world indulge in unnecessary debates and disputes. The poet urges them to stop speaking in any language. They should speak through their hearts. Men have moved their arms only to harm others. Therefore, they shouldn’t move their arms so much. They should give them the much-desired rest.
4. What does the poet say about different kinds of wars? What alternative does he suggest?
Answer:- The poet wants a total cessation of all kinds of wars. Green wars against the environment, wars with poisonous gases and fire must stop immediately. Instead of indulging in wars, the people must come out in their best dresses with their brothers. They should go out for a walk, enjoying themselves doing nothing.
5. According to Pablo Neruda, what is it that human beings can learn from?
Answer:- According to Pablo Neruda, the main cause of miseries and chaos in this world is the impatience and indecent haste of man. Human beings can learn a lesson from nature. Nature carries on its mission unnoticed and unseen. Life and living never stop on earth. When everything is dead, one thing remains eternally alive- the earth itself. Human beings must follow nature without indulging in indecent haste, violence and chaos.
6. According to the poet Pablo Neruda what important lesson can the Earth teach us?
Or
How is ‘stillness’ not equal to total inactivity? Why does Neruda say: ‘I want no truck with death”
Answer:- The earth can teach us an important lesson. The earth is never dead. When everything seems to be dead, it remains still alive. ‘Stillness’ shouldn’t be confused with ‘total inactivity’. Life goes on as usual. The poet doesn’t advocate for total inactivity, or idleness and has no association with death.
7. Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death? Give a reasoned answer.
Answer:- Certainly not. The poet doesn’t advocate total inactivity and death. That would mean the end of the world. Stillness should not be misinterpreted as inactivity, idleness and death. We should follow nature. Mother Nature continues its mission unnoticed and unseen. Life and living never stop on earth. Earth and nature remain eternally alive. But the stillness of nature doesn’t mean inactivity and death.
8. How can there be life under apparent stillness? How does the poet prove it?
Or
How is total inactivity on the earth in the winter months full of life?
Answer:- Neruda doesn’t equate stillness with total inactivity. Under this apparent stillness, there is life. We can learn it from the earth. When everything seems dead, the earth remains still alive. It is never dead. Life on the earth goes on as usual under apparent stillness.
9. Justify the title ‘Keeping quiet’
Answer:- The title of the poem is quite appropriate and logical. The people of the world are always in a rush and hurry. Their actions and reactions have led to untold suffering and troubles. Keeping quiet will do them a lot of good. It will give them the much-needed time for self-introspection and peace. It will save them from many harmful and dangerous activities.
10. What is the exotic moment the poet Pablo Neruda wishes for?
Answer:- Pablo Neruda dreams and wishes for an exotic moment. It will be an unusual moment. It will be the moment when mankind will be free from rush, noise and harmful actions. The noise of engines and machines will cease. It will be a rare moment of peace and tranquillity.
11. ‘Life is what it is all about;…..’ How is Keeping Quite related to life?
Answer:- Life and living continue quite unobserved and unnoticed. Under the ‘apparent stillness’, there are strong undertones and currents of life. Neruda doesn’t equate stillness with total inactivity. We can learn from the earth. Life on the earth goes on as usual under apparent stillness. Similarly, ‘keeping quiet’ is related to life and is a silent bliss for suffering humanity.
