Summary of Keeping Quiet
Keeping Quiet is a poem by Pablo Neruda, whose original name is Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He is famous for using a lot of powerful imagery in his poetry. As suggestive of the name, summary of the poem Keeping Quiet tells us about silent introspection of our changing environment. The poet not only tries to raise environmental awareness but also inspires the readers to participate in restoring peace to the world. Along with imagery, the poet also uses a lot of symbolism that helps readers easily connect to the ideas presented in the poem. BYJU’S provides summaries for textbook chapters under the CBSE English syllabus. Students can navigate to CBSE Summary to access these summaries. Students can refer to CBSE Notes for further access to solutions and materials on CBSE English chapters. Students should read the complete summary for a good grasp of the gist of the poem. Understanding the poem clearly can help students analyse the poem critically.
CBSE Class 12 English Keeping Quiet Summary
The poem begins with the poet urging everyone around to keep quiet. This poem is about self-introspection, and he believes staying still is the best way to do it. He offers to count till twelve to allow everyone some space and peace of mind. As discussed in the introduction, this poem uses a lot of imagery and symbolism. The poet suggests abstaining from speaking in any language or moving our arms at all. Languages unite people and are the basis of continuous growth in any aspect of life – culture, education, industrialisation, diplomatic deals, etc. Moving arms symbolise work, which is an essential part of our lives. We strive to develop ourselves continuously, and the best way to attain success is through work. The poet asks us to stop all these for some time.
The after-effects of this phenomenon are visualised by the poet to be very serene and thought-provoking. He calls it an ‘exotic moment’. He makes the reader understand its intensity through the use of imagery. He predicts a ‘sudden strangeness’ when we all stop moving and the constant grunt of moving vehicles is paused. He is trying to refer to a moment of uneasy silence that might seem awkward in the beginning. But there are good consequences for this silence. It will help us reflect on ourselves and might make us realise how we are hurting ourselves as well as others. The poet here is trying to invoke some sense of humanity in his readers so that the earth is saved from the greed and ruthlessness we resort to in the name of creating civilisations.
He gives examples of how we are ruining everything around us. Fishermen in the sea kill whales for their personal gains even if the whales have not harmed the fishermen. A man gathering salt would understand how he is hurting himself if he looked at his injured hands. The first example shows how innocence is being attacked for personal advantages. The second example talks about how we ignore our health, happiness and relationships in pursuit of monetary fame and success. Wars are another destructive outcome of negativity in humans. The poet cites the types of wars – wars fought with gas or fire that harm the environment around us do no justice to us or the animals and other elements of nature around us. These wars have no meaning, according to the poet, as no one wins. It is humans who are harmed at the end of the day. The poet believes that keeping quiet will inspire both war-mongers and victims to see the goodness in each other, and they will discover feelings of brotherhood among themselves once again.
The poet warns readers not to confuse staying still with complete inactivity. He wants to clarify that his desire for a quiet world should not mean that we are not supposed to work or do anything at all. The poet only wants the cruelty, violence and destructive activities to stop. He wants us to appreciate nature and realise its role and value in our lives. We take all kinds of precautions to live longer and avoid death. This struggle for survival makes us unleash destruction and violence. Perhaps a little bit of introspection and silence could reveal how we understand so little about ourselves and are terrified by the idea of death.
Finally, he cites the example of nature itself – how the Earth teaches us about rebirth and regeneration of life. Various phenomena on earth like seasons or cycles of organic substances begin and end to repeat themselves all over again. Winter seems to freeze everything but is followed by spring which brings new life and harmony to earth. While summer symbolises the peak of growth and maturity, autumn comes to shed off all the old and unnecessary. Life does not stop here. Life is created again. It is a cycle that never ends, and life and death are part of it. There is no point in struggling or fighting for immortality. The poet leaves the reader here on a note of silent introspection that implicitly urges humanity to realise its mistakes and move towards a more humane future.
Conclusion of Keeping Quiet
Keeping Quiet is a poem that invokes us to reflect on our actions and their consequences. The poet believes that silence is the way to start this process of reflection. The poem is an appeal to understand the world, to seek peace and harmony in the world and to seek brotherhood for the betterment of all. The poem has a powerful message but conveys it through a very subtle and serene tone. Reading the summary of the poem Keeping Quiet Class will shed light on how attaining a peaceful state of mind and body should be our ultimate goal.
A detailed understanding of the poem can help students critically analyse and appreciate the poem. Students can refer to our website for further information and content related to the Class 12 English subject for better understanding and preparation for CBSE board exams. They can also access topics like grammar and writing in English.
