English (Core) · Class 12 Languages
Ch 10Keeping Quiet — Class 12 English (Core), concept-first.
Pablo Neruda was one of the most celebrated poets of the twentieth century. He was born in Chile and is remembered around the world for poetry that ranges from tender love lyrics to powerful political and social verse.
19
Q&A
1
Concept
40m
Section weightage
Section C · Literature Textbooks (Flamingo & Vistas) · across all 19 lessons
Key concepts
Hover a concept to preview it and jump to its most relevant Q&A.
Poetic Interpretation
Imagine you and a friend look at the same sunset. You see orange and pink clouds. Your friend says, "It looks like the sky is bleeding." That difference — between a plain observation and a feeling-laden, image-rich descr…
Most relevant Q&A
- What will counting upto twelve and keeping still help us achieve?Free
- Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death?Free
- What is the ‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem?Preview
- What symbol from Nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under apparent stillness?Preview
- Choose a quiet corner and keep still physically and mentally for about five minutes. Do you feel any change in your state of mind?Free
Chapter contents
The NCERT structure, section by section. Open a section to see its questions, then read the concept-first solution.
About the Poet and the Poem
Pablo Neruda was one of the most celebrated poets of the twentieth century. He was born in Chile and is remembered around the world for poetry that ranges from tender love lyrics to powerful political…
Central Idea and Summary
The heart of this poem — a favourite for CBSE Class 12 English NCERT exam preparation — is the value of a shared, deliberate pause.
Stanza-wise Explanation
The following walks through the poem's movement of thought, part by part, entirely in paraphrase.
The opening call to stillness
The poem begins with a gentle instruction addressed to everyone. The poet asks us to count slowly to twelve and then to hold ourselves completely still.
The fellowship of a shared silence
Next the poet imagines what such a synchronized silence would feel like. If, all at once, every human being stopped and grew quiet, a sudden and strange sense of closeness would arise.
Fishermen, salt-gatherers and the noticing of harm
The poet then pictures particular kinds of work being set aside. He imagines those who hunt whales in the cold ocean stopping their pursuit, so that for once the great creatures are spared.
Warriors putting down their weapons
The poet extends the vision to those who plan destruction — people preparing wars of many kinds, including wars fought with poison gas and fire, whose only aim is to leave devastation behind.
A caution against misunderstanding
Sensing that his plea could be taken the wrong way, the poet pauses to explain himself. He does not want a complete, deathlike standstill, and he is not celebrating idleness.
The lesson of the Earth
To illustrate that stillness can be full of life, the poet turns to nature. When the ground lies bare and quiet in the cold months, it may appear dead, yet beneath the surface the Earth is very much a…
The closing pledge
The poem ends by circling back to its beginning. The poet says he will count up to twelve, and asks that we keep quiet.
Poetic Devices
In Keeping Quiet, the most powerful device is symbolism. Counting to twelve symbolises the twelve hours of a clock or the twelve months of a year — a complete, manageable unit of time that invites us…
Theme and Message
The poem is brief, but it carries several linked themes that together make up its meaning.
Summary
- The poem Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda urges a global pause of twelve seconds — a symbolic stillness to break the cycle of violence, haste, and ecological destruction.
Think it out
+−Think it outi4 questions
- Q1What will counting upto twelve and keeping still help us achieve?Free
- Q2Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death?Free
- Q3What is the ‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem?Preview
- Q4What symbol from Nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under apparent stillness?Preview
Try this out
Additional Practice
Extra exam-style practice questions written by us on this lesson — beyond the NCERT textbook's own exercises — for more CBSE board-exam preparation.
+−Additional Practicei13 questions
- Q1What does the poet ask everyone to do when he says count to twelve and keep still? (Answer in 30–40 words.)Free
- Q2What kind of togetherness or feeling would the moment of silence create among people? (Answer in 30–40 words.)Free
- Q3How would the moment of quiet affect the fishermen and the man gathering salt? (Answer in 30–40 words.)Free
- Q4What does the poet say about those who prepare wars, and what would the pause make them do? (Answer in 30–40 words.)Preview
- Q5Why does the poet clarify that keeping still should not be confused with total inactivity or death? (Answer in 30–40 words.)Preview
- Q6What does the Earth teach us, according to the poet, and how? (Answer in 30–40 words.)Preview
- Q7What is symbolised by the poet's repeated call to count up to twelve? (Answer in 30–40 words.)Preview
- Q8What is the central idea and message of 'Keeping Quiet'? (Answer in 120–150 words.)Preview
- Q9Discuss the theme of introspection and universal brotherhood in the poem. (Answer in 120–150 words.)Preview
- Q10How does Neruda link a moment of silence to peace and non-violence? Discuss with reference to the poem. (Answer in 120–150 words.)Preview
- Q11Comment on the poetic devices—symbolism, imagery, repetition and personification—used in 'Keeping Quiet'. (Answer in 120–150 words.)Preview
- Q12"Life is what it is about." How does the poet distinguish the stillness he recommends from death? (Answer in 120–150 words.)Preview
- Q13Discuss the relevance of the message of 'Keeping Quiet' in today's restless and violent world. (Answer in 120–150 words.)Preview