KEEPING QUIET CLASS 12
By: Pablo Neruda
Class 12 Book Flamingo
Poetry Chapter – 3

Keeping Quiet Class 12 Written by Pablo Neruda

Keeping Quiet Class 12 : कवी ने इस कविता के माध्यम से चुप्पी (शांति ) के महत्वता को उजागर करने की कोशिस की है। हमलोगों की छोटी सी चुप्पी कैसे बड़ी- बड़ी तबाही को टाल सकती है और दुनियाँ को कैसे विनाश से बचा सकती है? एक चुप्पी कैसे हमारे जीवन को खुशाल बना सकती है? कवी ने इस कविता के माध्यम से यह संदेश देने की कोशिस की है। (Keeping Quiet Class 12)

Stanza I

Now we will count to twelve

and we will all keep still.

Vocabulary: still- स्थिर, सांत।

Explanation: अब हमलोग 12 तक गिनती करेंगे और फिर हमलोग एक साथ सांत हो जायेंगे।

Stanza II

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.

Vocabulary: once-एक बार, face- अग्र भाग arms- बांहे।

Explanation: चलो सिर्फ एक बार पुरे पृथ्वी पर किसी भी भाषा में बात नहीं करेंगे, चलो कुछ पल के किये रुक जाते है और कोई भी हथियार का उपयोग नहीं करेंगे।

Stanza III

It would be an exotic moment

without rush, without engines,

we would all be together

in a sudden strangeness.

Vocabulary: exotic-अनोखा, अद्भुत, rush- भाग-दौड़ वाला, engines- इंजन together- एक साथ, sudden- अचानक, strangeness- अनोखापन।

Explanation: यह एक अनोखा पल होगा जब कोई भगदड़ नहीं होगी, किसी भी मशीन का सोर नहीं होगा, एक अचानक अनोखा पल के साथ हम सभी एक साथ होंगे।

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Stanza IV
Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would look at his hurt hands.

Vocabulary: Fishermen- मछवारे, harm- छति पहुँचाना, whales- एक प्रकार की मछली, salt- नमक।

Explanation: कवी इस पांति में कहते है की काम करने वाले सभी वक्ति थोड़ा देर क लिए रुके और खुद का ख्याल रखे। सभी मछवारे ठंडी समंदर में न जाये और किसी भी मछली को चोट न पहुचायें और जो लोग नमक जमा करने के काम लगे है वो भी रुक के अपने हाथों के जखम को देखें।

Stanza V

Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victory with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their
brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.

Vocabulary: war- युद्ध, जंग, victory- जीत, विजय, survivors- जीवित बचे लोग, shade- छांया।

Explanation: जो लोग नए युद्ध की तयारी कर रहे है चाहे युद्ध गैस की हो या आग की हो, इस युद्ध में किसी एक की जीत तो होगी लेकिन जश्न मानाने के लिए कोई बचेगा नहीं, इसलिए वो युद्ध की तयारी छोड़ कर अच्छे कपड़ें पहने और अपने भाईयों के साथ छांया में घूमने जाएँ और कुछ न करे।

Stanza VI
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.

Vocabulary: confuse- भ्रमित, inactivity- लालश्य, निष्क्रियता, perhaps- शायद, huge- बड़ी, interrupt- अवरोध, दखल देना, threaten- धमकाना।

Explanation: मै क्या चाहता हूँ इससे बिलकुल भी भ्रमित मत होना। मै पलभर के लिए रुकने को कह रहा हूँ, सभी काम छोड़ के हमेसा के लिए बैठने नहीं बोल हूँ। जोवन क्या और किसलिए है; हम में कोई भी मृत्यु के साथ संबंध रखना नहीं चाहता है। अगर जीवन जीने के लिए हम सिंगल माइंडेड नहीं है तो कुछ समय के लिए कुछ भी नहीं करना है, खुद को न समझने वाली जो हमारी उदासी है, जो हमें मृत्यु की ओर ले जाती है, शायद एक बड़ी खामोसी इससे हमें बचा सकती है।

Stanza VII
Perhaps the Earth can teach us
as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive.

Vocabulary: seem- प्रतीत होना, जान पड़ना, prove- साबित करना, alive- जीवित।

Explanation: शायद पृथ्वी हमें सीखा सकती है की जैसे पृथ्वी पर सभी मृत प्रतीत होते है लेकिन बाद में इसके जिवंत के प्रमाण मिलते है।

Stanza VIII
Now I’ll count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.

Vocabulary: Twelve- कविता में 12 का अर्थ अस्पष्ट नहीं है ये घडी के 12 घंटे या कैलेंडर के 12 महीने भी हो सकते है, quiet- चुप रहना, सांत रहना।

Explanation: अब मै 12 तक गिनती करूँगा और आपलोग चुप रहेंगे और फिर मै चला जाऊंगा।

Important question and answer (Keeping Quiet Class 12)

1. Why does Pablo Neruda urge us to keep still?

Ans: Pablo Neruda urges us to keep still because indecent haste and activities lead us to violence, wars and death. He wants us to keep still to enjoy a few moments of peace. It will give us time for introspection to understand ourselves. It can avoid violence, wars and death.

2. Why shouldn’t we speak in any language and not move our arms so much?
Ans: People speak too much. They involve in unnecessary debates and disputes. The poet wants us not to speak any language. People move arms to harm others. Therefore, They should not move their arms so much.

3. What does the poet want to convey by addressing the fishermen and the man gathering slat?
Ans: The poet is against all kind of violence. He suggests the fishermen shouldn’t harm whales living in the cold seas. The poet is also against any kind of self-torturing. The man who is gathering salt must look after his hurt hand.

4. Why would it be an exotic moment?
Ans: Life has become unpleasant and troublesome due to unnecessary rush and noise. The poet wants that people should stop rushing and running. Even the noise of engines and machines and must stop at once. If it happens, that moment would be an exotic or a fascinating moment.

5. According to Pablo Neruda, what can the earth teach us?
Ans: The earth can teach a lesson to mankind on how to live on it. When everything seems dead and later the earth proves to be alive. The earth teaches us that there is always life under apparent stillness.

6. What will be counting up to twelve and keeping still help us achieve?
Ans: The poet urges us to count up to twelve and keeping still. Perhaps ‘twelve’ here represents the twelve hours of the clock. Most of the ills and troubles of the world were caused because of our rush and hurry. Keeping still will give us the necessary respite for peace.

Read the following stanza and answer the questions:(Keeping Quiet Class 12)

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

(a) Name the poem and the poet.

Ans: Poem: Keeping Quiet

Poet: Pablo Neruda

(b) What lives alive when everything seems dead?

Ans: When everything seems dead, the earth remains alive.

(c) What does the poet ask us?

Ans: The poet asks us to keep quiet while he counts up to twelve.

“It would be an exotic moment

Without rush, Without engines,

We would all be together

in a sudden strangeness.”

(a)Name the poem and the poet.

Ans: Poem: Keeping Quiet

Poet: Pablo Neruda

(b) What kind of moment will it be?

Ans: It would be a very exciting and beautiful moment.

(c) How would all of us feel at that time?

Ans: We would feel peace all around us. It would be an unusual moment.

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KEEPING QUIET CLASS 12 By: Pablo Neruda Class 12 Book Flamingo Poetry Chapter – 3