KEEPING QUIET
By Pablo Neruda
About The Poet:
Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto (12 July 1904 – 23 September
1973), better known by his pen name and, later, legal name Pablo
Neruda was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the
Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. Chile, officially the Republic of
Chile, is a country in western South America. Neruda became known
as a poet when he was 13 years old, and wrote in a variety of styles,
including passionate love poems such as the ones in his collection
Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair (1924). Neruda is often
considered the national poet of Chile, and his works have been
popular and influential worldwide.
Text of The Poem:-
Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still
for once on the face of the earth,
let's not speak in any language;
let's stop for a second,
and not move our arms so much
It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines;
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.
Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would not look at his hurt hands
Those who prepare green wars
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victories with no survivors
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.
What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.
If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with
death.
Perhaps the Earth can teach us
as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive
Now I'll count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.
Explanation of The Poem:-
Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still
for once on the face of the earth,
let's not speak in any language;
let's stop for a second,
and not move our arms so much
At the very outset of the poem, Pablo Neruda asks humanity to
count till twelve and maintain a state of stillness. The number 3
twelve is representative of hours in a clock. The poet asks humanity
to not speak any language in an attempt to ensure that linguistic
barriers do not ruin the unity of humankind. The poet then asks the
readers to remain still and not indulge themselves in any bodily
movement in order to concentrate upon self-introspection. Hence,
according to the poet, maintaining a state of stillness and quietness
will enable the entire humankind to reflect upon its deeds and
actions.
It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines;
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness
Here, exotic moment refers to an unusual moment of happiness.
The poet further continues to say that if the entire humankind
attempts to keep quiet and reflect upon the need to overcome all
the barriers that create differences among human beings, then it
would turn into a universal exotic moment, full of ecstasy
(happiness). In that exotic moment, no one would rush to work and
therefore, everyone will enjoy a state of peace and contentment
(satisfaction). Also, the troublesome loud sounds of engines will
come to a halt as everyone will be busy in maintaining stillness.
Therefore, that moment will certainly be strange and new, yet it will
mark the unity of the humankind.
Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would not look at his hurt hands
The poet now focuses on an environmental perspective. The poet
states that a period of stillness and quietness would stop fishermen
from harming the whales in the cold sea. Further, the salt gatherers
would be relieved from their burdensome work and would not be
compelled (forced) to look at their hurt hands. Hence, a period of
quietness would open the door of tranquility (peace) and relief for
everyone. Even nature will be saved from being destroyed at the
hands of human beings if everyone would embrace serenity
(quietness).
Those who prepare green wars
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victories with no survivors
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.
The poet then draws a picture of absolute unity of all the human
beings across the world. The poet says that even the people who are
rivals to each other will be able to reconcile with each other and
enjoy a state of togetherness, if they get prepared to remain still and
quiet. Consequently, the people who are indulged in making
equipment for wars in order to attain victory will come to the
realization of the fact that wars result in nothing but devastation.
This is because the nation that attains victory in a war ultimately has
to come to terms with the reality that the survivors in a war are
almost negligible. Such a victory is worthless as it is against human
welfare.
What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.
The poet makes an attempt to clarify his idea of quietness and
stillness. The poet says that quietness does not refer to total
inactivity or idleness rather it refers to a state of calmness and
composure so that the entire humankind gets an opportunity to
indulge itself in self-introspection, thereby paving way for
togetherness and co-existence.
If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with
death.
The poet finally highlights the universal fear of death that is faced by
humankind. The poet says that human beings always tend to be
single-minded in their approach towards life and their only desire is
to keep striving in order to accomplish (achieve) their goals and
objectives. Human beings fear their ultimate end, that is, death and
therefore, they live in a state of anxiousness. However, the poet
suggests that human beings should rather engage themselves in a
state of quietness and stillness in order to overcome their fear of
death, celebrate their little victories and get rid of the tendency to
over-exert themselves.
Perhaps the Earth can teach us
as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive
Now I'll count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.
The poet now exemplifies Earth in order to assert that human beings
can learn the art of keeping quiet and still from Earth. The Earth has
been personified by the poet and he says that the Earth becomes
quiet in the month of autumn in which all the trees undergo
withering of leaves and it seems as if the Earth is in a state of self-
introspection. However, in the summer season, the earth begins to
bloom with flowers, as if the Earth has undergone rejuvenation.
Hence, the liveliness of Earth in the summer season is an outcome of
the quietness that had been observed by the Earth in the autumn
season. Similarly, the human beings can learn the art of keeping
quiet and devote that time of quietness for self-introspection and
gradually, they will be able to attain peace and they will be able to
get rid of the complexities of their lives. Finally, the poet tells the
readers that he would leave and he asks his readers to continue
counting up to twelve in order to selfexamine themselves and their
actions, thereby attaining mental, social and physical stability.
Thematic Concerns of the Poem:-
[Link] of Togetherness:-
Throughout the poem, the poet has emphasized that human beings
need to be quiet for some time in order to examine the reasons that
make them rivals of each other. Human beings need to overcome
their differences and need to live peacefully with each other
irrespective of their languages, castes, creeds, race, regions or
religions.
[Link] Restoration:-
Through this poem, the poet has laid emphasis on “green wars”.
Green wars refer to the exploitation of natural resources by human
beings during wars. According to the poet, the humankind must
refrain from misusing natural resources and must not indulge in wars
as wars have an adverse impact on environmental well-being. Also,
the poet advocates the need to put halt to harmful practices like
fishing, at least for some time, so that nature could replenish
(restore) itself.
[Link] Need to Put an End to Oppressive Labour
Practices:-
The poet has also advocated the fact that there are many labour
practices in the world that either need to be reformed or ended. For
instance, the men who are engaged in gathering salt are compelled
(forced) to bear pain as their hands get hurt in the process. Through
this poem, the poet has asserted the need to put a halt to such
practices.
[Link] Need to make Attempts to achieve tranquility
(peace):-
Finally, the poet has emphasized on the need to overcome the
universal fear of death as well as the hustle and bustle of life. Human
beings need to live a life of calm and composure instead of ruining
their happiness by overthinking about the mundane (lacking
excitement) routine and realities of life.
[Link] as a Source Of Inspiration:-
The poet has beautifully portrayed nature as a source of inspiration
for human beings. Just like Earth goes through a period of stillness in
autumnal phase and regain its vividness in the summer phase,
similarly, human beings can also practice quietness for engaging
themselves in self-reflection so that they can ultimately attain a state
of liveliness, free from the worries of life.
Poetic Devices:
[Link]: It is the repetition of consonant sounds at the
beginning of words. e.g. “we will count”, “sudden strangeness”, “stop
for one second”, “his hurt hands”, “clean clothes”.
[Link]: It is the repetition of phrases in the poem for poetic
effect. e.g. “without rush, without engines“.
[Link]: The poet uses various symbols in the poem. e.g.
“Brothers” symbolise mankind, “green wars” refer to deforestation,
“wars with gas” refers to pollution, “clean clothes” symbolise change
of perspective, “shade” symbolises protection etc.
[Link]: It is the juxtaposition of opposing or contrasting ideas.
e.g. “count to twelve and we will all keep still”. Here counting and
keeping still are contrasting activities and are put together.
[Link]: it is the attribution of human characteristics to
non-human things and animals. e.g. “Earth can teach us as when
everything“.
[Link]: It is used to make a comparison between two things
that aren’t alike but do have something in common. e.g. “shade”
refers to protection.
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