NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 3 Keeping Quiet

Keeping Quiet NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 3

Keeping Quiet NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

Keeping Quiet Think it out

Question 1.
What will counting upto twelve and keeping still help us achieve ?
Answer:
The poet suggests that the people should discontinue their nasty activities and nonsensial chating for some time. This silence will give us time to introspect, to understand ourselves and to shape our destiny properly.

Question 2.
Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death ?
Answer:
No, the poet clarifies that he does not favour inactivity or total idleness. Inaction means death. Life means action for the good of our race. What the poet advocates is a full stop to war and the race for self-gain.

Question 3.
What is the ‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem ?
Answer:
The people and the nations are unfortunately engaged in producing weapons of mass destruction. This is a sad feature of our modem civilisation. We all are a part of a blind race, working for collective suicide. Let us take a breath and look within.

Question 4.
What symbol from Nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under apparent stillness ?
Answer:
If the poet’s suggestion is accepted, there will be temporary stillness. But it doesn’t mean death. It is a short interval for renewed life and activity. We can see it in nature. The earth under the snow looks dead, with no activity and no growth. But let the spring blows its bugle, the snow will melt away and the seeds will sprout, the grass will grow. All activities of life will start again.

Keeping Quiet Try this out

Question 1.
Choose a quite corner and keep still physically and mentally for about five minutes. Do you feel any change in your state of mind ?
Answer:
If life is a long struggle, tension and sufferings are unavoidable parts of life. Most people are running a mad-race for pleasure and paise, but they get only pain and restlessness. No amount of comforts and entertainments can keep you cool and at ease. It is through Yoga and a quite meditation that you can keep away your tension. A five minutes daily exercise is enough to regain your cool.

Keeping Quiet Extra Questions and Answers

Keeping Quiet Extra Questions Short Answer Type 

Question 1:
‘Life is what it is all about; ‘ How is keeping quiet related to life?
Answer:
Keeping quiet does not mean total inactivity, but stillness and quietness to introspect on what we are
doing. This means stopping our normal day-to-day activities to reflect on our actions. Thus it is related to life, although this may not be visible outwardly.

Question 2:
Why does one feel ‘a sudden strangeness’ on counting to twelve and keeping quiet?
Answer:
Normally people are active and sounds of machines are heard. When we keep quiet and introspect, it will be a strange and unfamiliar moment; thus, we will feel ‘a sudden strangeness’ at this moment.

Question 3:
How will ‘keeping quiet’ protect our environment?
Answer:
Keeping quiet and introspecting will initiate peace and brotherhood among men, halting all destructive activities like waging wars which harm people besides damaging the environment. Thus, the environment will be protected.

Question 4:
What will counting up to twelve and keeping still help us achieve?
Answer:
Counting up to twelve and keeping still will help us to get some time to stop all our normal activities and self-introspect our actions, helping us change our destructive ways and promote brotherhood among men.

Question 5:
What symbol from nature does the poet invoke that there can be life under apparent stillness?
Answer:
The poet uses nature as a symbol to explain his idea that there can be life under apparent stillness. An example from nature is the Earth itself, as, when everything seems dead, it later proves to be alive.

Question 6:
What will possibly be the effect of keeping quiet?
Or
How, according to Neruda, can keeping quiet change our attitude to life?
Answer:
Keeping quiet will help us to introspect on our destructive actions like waging wars or otherwise harming the environment. This will give us a better idea of the consequences of the actions, thus changing our attitude to life.

Question 7:
Which is the exotic moment that the poet refers to in ‘Keeping Quiet?
Answer:
The poet refers to the moment of stillness and quietness as an exotic moment because it will initiate peace and brotherhood. There would be no movement, no talk, no activity and consequently, no violence.

Question 8:
What is the sadness that the poet refers to in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet?
Or
What is the sadness that the poet refers to in the poem?
Answer:
The poet refers to the sadness that arises from the failure to understand ourselves. Today, we are so engrossed in achieving materialistic success that we have no time to introspect about our actions and their consequences. Hence, we often end up hurting ourselves, and this results in sadness.

Question 9:
Which images in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’show that the poet condemns violence?
Answer:
The images of fishermen not harming the whales in the sea and wars leaving behind no survivors to celebrate victory show that the poet condemns violence. The poet’s refusal to have any association or dealings with death also shows that he is not in favour of any form of violence.

Question 10:
What are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the poem? What is Neruda’s attitude towards these wars?
Answer:
The poet writes about wars against humanity and nature. Green wars, wars with poisonous gases and wars with fire are the kinds of wars mentioned in the poem. Neruda’s attitude towards war is one of rejection. He feels that such wars may bring victory but there are no survivors to celebrate the victory.

Question 11:
How can suspension of activities help?
Answer:
The suspension of activities will give people time to introspect and analyse their actions. This will help them in solving their problems and conflicts. They will develop a new understanding and hence will mend their destructive ways.

Question 12:
Do you think that the poet advocates total inactivity and death?
Answer:
No, the poet does not advocate total inactivity and death. He clarifies that he has no truck with death. According to him, life is meant to be lived to the fullest. He just wants the inhuman and destructive activities to stop.

Question 13:
According to the poet, what is it that human beings can learn from nature?
Answer:
Life under apparent stillness in attitude is the message which human beings can learn from nature. The Earth is never in a state of total inactivity. Nature continues to breathe and work even when there is stillness all around.

Question 14:
What does the title of the poem suggest to you? What do you think the poem is about?
Answer:
The title of the poem suggests the importance of silence. The poem is about the importance of quiet introspection for all. Our speech and activities often bring about trouble and suffering, so they need to be controlled.

Question 15.
Bring out the underlying message and appeal of the Pablo Neruda’s poem ‘Keeping Quiet’. Why does he call upon all the people to keep quiet ?
Answer:
Keeping Quiet is a poem with a historic message. The poet calls upon all the people of the world to observe a short silence, to suspend all their activities, to stand still and quietly analyse what they are doing to kill themselves. The poet talks about the necessity of suspending all war industry and an attack on animals.

It will be a strange experience for the people when they become free from tension and mad rush.” They will get time to understand their neighbours and the needs of their families. But the poet is not calling for total activity. Life, after all, must go on in quiet way. Even when everything seems dead in nature, the seeds of life remain alive in the earth.

Question 16.
Elucidate and bring out what the Pablo Neruda wants to convey through the following :
(i) Life is what it is about.
(ii) As when everything seems dead and later proves to be alive.
Answer:
(i) The poet urges all the people to observe silence and stand still for a while. He wants this time to be utilised for quiet introspection and to create better understanding among human beings. He does not suggest the stillness and silence of death. Life, after all, has to go on. The normal and necessary activities cannot be suspended.

(ii) In nature the seasons change regularly. In cold winter when it snows, the earth’looks all dead no greenery, no flowering, no movement of birds and beasts. But this situation is misleading. After a month or so, the earth proves itself better equipped for a new life.

Question 3.
According to Pablo Neruda, what is it that human beings can learn from Nature ?
Answer:
The human beings can learn to be quiet and still from the Nature that teaches to grow at one’s own place. We should be contented what we had but not bother about the others’ wealth.

Keeping Quiet Extra Questions Long Answer Type 

Question 1:
Analyse the importance of the dramatic count to twelve in ‘Keeping Quiet.’
Answer:
The poem opens with the poet’s appeal to begin with a count to twelve followed by a moment of silence. The poet links silence with hope for a moment of togetherness. The repetition of the poet’s request to count to twelve in the first and the last stanzas creates a personal space of silence in the poem. The poet seeks this moment of silence as a moment to introspect and meditate, to share a feeling of oneness.

The poet wishes that in this selected moment, the fishermen would not kill the whales and the men gathering salt would give rest to their injured hands. The threat of destruction of the world would come to a halt. In this chosen moment we would have time for self assessment. The number ‘twelve’ is dramatically significant to represent our clock time, a moment in real life.

Question 2:
How is the poet’s appeal for keeping quiet different from absolute sluggishness ?
Answer:
The poet, in his appeal for keeping quiet, emphasizes the importance of self-introspection in a man’s life. He urges us to seek a moment to understand ourselves and analyse our actions as we experience the sadness of death. The poet’s appeal for a moment of silence or stillness should not be mistaken as a plea, as a moment of inactivity or absolute sluggishness.

He seeks a silence where people are not obsessed with work and give a personal moment of time to think about their actions. This moment of silence will help them to overcome their woes and defects. The poet even feels that the Earth will enlighten men in this process, as silence is only a moment captured where there is activity under apparent stillness.

Question 3:
Analyse the poetic devices that the poet adopts in the poem.
Answer:
The poet has incorporated the use of repetition in the line ‘let’s not speak’ and let’s stop for one second’ to create the poetic effect of emphasis on his readers. Even the phrases ‘count to twelve’ and ‘count up to twelve’ are symbolic, as the poet repeats his request to keep quiet for a second time. The word ‘twelve’ symbolizes a measure of time representing our clock time of real life, capturing a moment from our present time.

The phrases ‘hurt hands’ and ‘clean clothes’ are examples of alliteration. Man will cleanse his soul, heart and mind in the process. The word ‘brothers’ here implies brotherhood and synecdoche is used by using a concrete object instead of an abstract concept. There is use of metaphor in ‘put on clean clothes’, as the poet wants the warmongers to shed their blood-soiled clothes (meaning, stop wars) and put on fresh clothes (meaning, follow brotherhood).

Keeping Quiet Extra Questions Extract Based Type 

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

“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 one second,
and not move our arms so much.”

Question 1:
Name the poem and the poet.
Answer:
The poem is Keeping Quiet, and the poet is Pablo Neruda.

Question 2:
How long does the poet want to stay still?
Answer:
The poet urges each one of us to count up to twelve and remain still for one second.

Question 3:
What does he hope to achieve by keeping quiet?
Answer:
The poet hopes that by keeping quiet we will get an opportunity to introspect. The strange stillness will give a feeling of togetherness.

Question 4:
What does the poet mean by ‘not move our arms’ so much?
Answer:
The poet wants us not to move our arms so much because physical activity leads to stopping our introspection. Not moving our arms also suggests stopping all kinds of violence.

II. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

“It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.”

Question 1:
What would be an‘exotic’moment? Why?
Answer:
The moment of stillness and quietness would be an ‘exotic’ moment. The moment will be ‘exotic’ because it will initiate peace and brotherhood. In the strange moment there would be quietness all around.

Question 2:
How would we feel at that moment?
Answer:
In the strange and exotic moment, we would feel a sense of togetherness. There would be peace and stillness. We together will experience the silent moment.

Question 3:
Point out the words from the extract which mean

1. exciting
2. machines
3. at once

Answer:

1. exotic
2. engines
3. sudden

III. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

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

Question 1:
What does the poet expect of the fishermen and why?
Answer:
The poet expects that, in the moment of stillness, the fishermen will get time to introspect. They would not harm the whales at that time.

Question 2:
What will the man gathering salt do?
Answer:
The man gathering salt will stop for a while and tend to his wounded hands.

Question 3:
What do the ‘hurt hands’ imply?
Answer:
‘Hurt hands’ imply the destruction that humans have caused to themselves and the environment in pursuit of their selfish needs.

Question 4:
What should the fishermen not do?
Answer:
The fishermen should not hurt the whales in the sea.

IV. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

“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.”

Question 1:
Name the different kinds of war mentioned in the above lines. What does the poet mean by ‘Green wars?
Answer:
Green wars i.e. wars against nature, wars with poisonous gases and wars with firearms are the different kinds of war. ‘Green wars’ means wars against the environment. Warring nations keep on developing new ‘weapons’ to wage war against the environment.

Question 2:
Explain ‘victory with no survivors’.
Answer:
The poet wants to convey the message that war brings destruction and leaves none to celebrate victory. No one can gain anything by waging wars.

Question 3:
What does the poet want the warmongers to do?
Answer:
The poet wants the warmongers to put on clean clothes, the clean clothes symbolising shedding their evil ways to make peace with their brothers.

V. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

“What I want should not be
confused with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.”

Question 1:
What should not be confused with ‘total inactivity?
Answer:
Stillness and quietness should not be confused with total inactivity.

Question 2:
What is ‘life’ about?
Answer:
‘Life’ is about living it to the fullest. It is not meant for wasting it by sitting idle.

Question 3:
Why does the poet say “I want no truck with death’?
Answer:
The poet clarifies that he wants no association with death. He is advocating stillness and quietness to introspect, not total inactivity or death.

Question 4:
What does the poet not want himself to be?
Answer:
The poet doesn’t want himself to be confused with advocating total inactivity.

VI. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

“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.”

Question 1:
Who does ‘we’refer to in the above lines?
Answer:
“We’ refers to the human beings who are always thinking about their own progress and advancement.

Question 2:
Why does the poet want us to ‘do nothing1 for once?
Answer:
The poet wants us to ‘do nothing’ for once so that our minds can be at peace and we are able to introspect and analyse our own actions.

Question 3:
What is the ‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem?
Answer:
The poet refers to the ‘sadness’ which arises due to the fact that people fail to understand themselves. They have no time to introspect about their actions and their consequences.

Question 4:
How can a huge silence do good to us?
Answer:
A huge silence can do good to us because we are able to achieve peace in this silence. It helps us in analysing ourselves and our actions, interrupting the sadness of threatening ourselves with death.

VII. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

“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”.

Question 1:
What does the Earth teach us?
Answer:
The Earth teaches us that there is life under apparent stillness. It means that we can still be alive even if we appear to be ‘still’ or ‘calm’.

Question 2:
What does the poet mean to achieve by counting upto twelve?
Answer:
The poet wants to achieve peace by counting upto twelve. He wants us to introspect in a moment of silence.

Question 3:
What is the significance of’keeping quiet?
Answer:
Keeping quiet doesn’t mean keeping mute. It means that we should avoid all such activities which hurt nature and, in turn, harm us.

Question 4:
What is always alive when everything seems dead?
Answer:
Only the Earth is alive when everything else appears to be dead.

Keeping Quiet Extra Questions Value Based Type

Question 1:
What kind of an imaginary and ideal world does the poet visualise?
Answer:
The poet longs for a calm, quiet and peaceful world, devoid of all forms of violence, as he visualises ‘togetherness’ of the people in a moment of silence and tranquillity. According to the poet, this moment will give us time in silence for self-introspection, when we can spiritually attain our moral self through a moment of meditation.

This moment will bring an end to all destructive activities in the world. The fishermen will not be killing whales and the men gathering salt will have time to rest their injured hands. Environmental degradation will come to an end. The warmongers will be silenced in a moment of brotherhood to meditate and cleanse their souls. The poet hopes that it will be an ideal world where man will be able to come out from his self-centred attitude to gain moral peace.

Keeping Quiet About the Poem

Here is a poem with a strange and striking theme. It is basically an anti-war poem. The poet is deeply concerned about violence, cruelty to animals and plight of manual workers. The poet offers a very simple solution to many of our social, political and religious problems. The solution is self-introspection. Let all the people, suspend their activities for some time and keep quiet as well as still. If it is acted upon, it will be the first major step towards uniting people. The second step is that every one should look within and analyse what is wrong and who is the wrong doer. This will cleanse every heart and ennoble all people. The fishermen will stop killing whales and war industry will stop production. The poet’s suggestion is idealistic and perhaps impracticable.

Keeping Quiet Summary in English

The poet suggests to one and all to suspend all their activities for a while, stand still and count upto twelve. He wants all people on the Earth to keep quiet also for a short while. They must not speak in any language for one second at least, stand motionless, and not even move their arms.It would be a strange experience, a great historical event when the world will be free from rat mad race. No trains will move, no cars and no machines. All the people will be suddenly united. They will agree for once on this point, forgetting all their differences.

Such silence and stillness will have far reaching effect. People will get time to look inwardly and find their own faults. This exercise will solve quite a few problems. Fishermen would not kill the whales and the salt gatherer will get time to look at his bleeding hands. War industries will suspend their production of lethal gases and deadly ammunition. War, after all, benefits none. An all-out next war will not leave behind any survivor.

Those engaged in war related activities will get some time to change their clothes and walk with their brothers in the shade with a cool head. The poet clarifies that he is not suggesting total inactivity. Inaction means death; action is the hallmark of life. Life must go on. Only war industry and violence should come to an end. If people rise above the mad race for power and wealth for some time, and learn to sit at rest and ease, they will gain a lot. Their cool thinking will free them from tension and fear. They are in trouble today chiefly because they have never tried to know what will harm them badly. They themselves are preparing for mass destruction of life!

The poet invokes a symbol from nature to illustrate his point. The seeming stillness is not the stillness of death. It is time to prepare for a renewed activities of life. This is in keeping with the law of Nature. In winter everything goes to sleep. The snow cover enforces rest for a healthy new life. Come spring, the plants, and the grass and the streams become active and alive again. In view of so many benefits of a short interval of stillness and silence, the poet calls upon all the people to join him in counting upto twelve.

Keeping Quiet Summary in Hindi

कवि सभी मनुष्यों को एक सुझाव दे रहा है कि अपने सभी काम कुछ समय के लिए स्थगित कर दो, निश्चल खड़े रहो और 12 तक की गिनती गिनो। कवि चाहता है कि धरती पर सभी मनुष्य कुछ क्षणों के लिये मौन धारण कर लें। वे एक सेकण्ड तक कोई भी भाषा न बोलें, मूर्तिवत् खड़े रहें तथा अपने हाथ भी न हिलायें। यह अनुभव विचित्र लगेगा, एक महान ऐतिहासिक घटना जैसा, जब सारा संसार अंधी आपाधापी से मुक्त हो जाएगा। कोई रेलगाड़ी नहीं चलेगी, न कोई कार चलेगी, न ही कोई मशीन । सभी लोगों में अचानक एकता आ जायेगी। ये एक बार तो इस विषय में एकमत हो जायेंगे, अपने सभी भेदभाव भुला देंगे।

ऐसी मीन तथा ऐसी निश्चलता के दूरगामी परिणाम होंगे। लोगों को समय मिल जायेगा कि ये आत्म निरीक्षण करें तथा अपने दोषों को पहचानें। यह प्रक्रिया कुछेक समस्याओं को हल कर देगी। मछुआरे व्हेल मछली को नहीं मारेंगे तथा नमक बटोरने वालों को अपने चोट खाये हाथों को देखने का समय मिल जायेगा। युद्ध उद्योग जानलेवा गैसों तथा गोला-बारूद का अपना उत्पादन रोक देंगे। युद्ध आखिरकार किसी को भी लाभ नहीं पहुँचाता। अगला विश्व युद्ध तो अपने पीछे कोई भी जीवित व्यक्ति नहीं छोड़ जायेगा। युद्ध से जुड़ी सारी गतिविधियों से जुड़े लोगों को कुछ समय मिल जायेगा कि ये नये साफ वस्त्र पहन लें, तथा अपने भाइयों के साथ छाँव में शांत भाव से बैठ सकें।

कवि स्पष्ट कर देता है कि वह पूर्ण रूप से निष्क्रियता का सुझाव नहीं दे रहा है। निष्क्रियता का अर्थ होता है मौत, जीवन की पहचान है कर्म। जीवन को तो चलते ही रहना है। केवल युद्ध उद्योग तथा हिंसा को ही समाप्त किया जाये। यदि लोग सत्ता तथा संपत्ति के पीछे पागल दौड़ कुछ समय के लिये छोड़ दें और शांति से बैठना सीख से तो उन्हें बहुत लाभ मिलेगा। उनके विचार उन्हें सभी तनाव तथा भय से मुक्त कर देंगें। वे आज संकट में हैं केवल इस कारण कि उन्होंने कभी भी स्वयं को समझने की कोशिश नहीं की कि कौन से काम उन्हें हानि पहुँचा सकते हैं। वे स्वयं ही बड़े पैमाने पर नरसंहार करने की तैयारी में हैं।

कवि प्रकृति से एक प्रतीक लेकर अपनी बात स्पष्ट करता है। ऊपर से दिखने वाली शांति मौत की शांति से भिन्न होती है। यह वह समय है जब नये जीवन का तैयारी पूरी की जाती है। यह तो प्रकृति के नियमों के अनुकूल है। शीतकाल में हर चीज जैसे सो जाती है। बर्फ की चादर सभी पेड़-पौधों को जबरन विश्राम करवा देती है ताकि एक स्वस्थ नये जीवन का प्रारम्भ हो जाये। वसंत आते ही पौधे, घास तथा नदियों पुनः सक्रिय एवं सजीव हो जाती हैं। कुछ समय के लिये निश्चलता तथा मीन के अनेक लाभों को ध्यान में रखते हुए कवि लोगों को आमंत्रित करता है कि उसके साथ मिलकर बारह तक की गिनती गिर्ने।

Keeping Quiet Extracts for comprehension

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow :

Stanza I

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 one second,
and not move our arms so much.
It would he an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all he together
in a sudden strangeness.

(अब हम बारह तक गिनती गिनेंगे और निश्चल बने रहेंगे, एक बार इस धरती पर सभी लोग किसी भी भाषा में न बोलें, एक क्षण के लिये हम सब काम-धाम रोक दें और इतनी भाग-दौड़ न करें। यह एक विचित्र, नया असामान्य अनुभव होगा कि जब कोई भागम-भाग नहीं होगी, कोई मशीनें शोर नहीं करेंगी, हम सभी इस अचानक आयोजित शांति में सहभागी बन जायेंगे।)

Questions :
(i) Name the poem and the poet.
(ii) Why does the poet suggest a few moments of peace and silence in the world ?
(iii) How will suspension of all activity affect all of us ?
(iv) Explain : an exotic moment.
Answers :
(i) The poem titled Keeping Quiet is written by Pablo Neruda.
(ii) The poet thinks that people running after political power, personal gain and war trophies have no time to understand their ownself. When they sit still and silent, they will think on right lines.
(iii) When we suspend all our activities for a while, we shall come together as one country or community. The silent stillness will unite us all.
(iv) A strange and unprecedented situation.

Stanza II

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

Word notes—survivors-people left alive after the war – बचे खुचे लोग . For the short period all the people sinking their differences would relax and enjoy themselves in the shade of peace.

(जब समस्त गतिविधियाँ थम जाएंगी तो मछुआरे ठण्डे सागर में व्हेल को चोट नहीं पहुँचायेंगे, और नमक संग्रह करने वाला मजदूर अपने हाथों की चोट पर निगाह नहीं डालेगा। अर्थात् हिंसा और शोषण थम जायेगा। जो लोग युद्ध की तैयारी में लगे हुए हैं, ऐसा युद्ध जो गैस तथा विध्वंसक तोपों से लड़ा जाता है, और जिसमें विजेता को भी एक वीरान दुनिया हाथ लगेगी, महायुद्ध से बचने वाला कोई नहीं रहेगा। जब यह सब थम जायेगा, तो यही युद्ध प्रणेता साफ-सुथरे वस्त्र पहनकर अपने भाई-बन्धुओं के साथ छाँव में विश्राम करेंगे, काम की चिंता से पूरी मुक्ति का आनन्द लेंगे।

Questions :
(i) What is the poet’s suggestion or holy wish ?
(ii) How will a few moments of introspection affect the mood, thinking and actions of the people ?
(iii) Explain : Victory with no survivors.
Answers :
(i) The poet is a pacifist, a fighter for peace in the world. He wants all people to stand silent and still for just one moment. That moment will make them thoughtful and at peace.
(ii) When all the people observe silence and standstill, there will be no need to save whales and other creatures. The poor salt gatherer will get a moment to see his bleeding hands. War industry will come to a standstill. People will get breathing space to go for a walk with their brothers.
(iii) Another world war will destroy all life, all human beings and animals. The victor will find no body to rule over.

Stanza III

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. (Page 96)

(मैं जो कहना या पाना चाहता हूँ उसे पूर्णरूपेण निष्क्रियता के साथ न जोड़ा जाये। जीवन तो चलता ही रहेगा, उसकी सामान्य गतिविधियाँ तो चलती रहें। मैं तो यह चाहता हूँ कि मौत के साथ आदमी का कोई समझौता या सौदा न हो। यदि हम जीवन : रा को चालू रखने के मसले पर एकमत नहीं हो पाते और स्वयं को निरुपाय पाते हैं, तो शायद एक गहरा मौन हमारी इस उदासी को दूर कर दे।)

Questions :
(i) What does the poet suggest and what he refutes ?
(it) What is the essence or soul of life ?
(iii) How can huge silence dispel sadness ?
Answers :
(i) The poet suggests a moment of peace and introspection. It should be totally care free. But he does not mean absolute idleness which is impossible to achieve.
(ii) The essence of life is action. The work in fields and factories is necessary to sustain life.
(tit) World-wide silence and a break in running after the power will remove all our tension, all violence and warfare. No body then will be sadly think about the future is our race and environment.

Stanza IV

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. (Page 96)

(हो सकता है कि एक विश्वव्यापी मौन या निश्चलता हमारी इस दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण उदासी को तोड़कर सुधार दे, कि हम कभी भी आत्ममंथन करके अपना हित-अहित नहीं सोच पाते, और आत्मविनाश के सामान जुटाते रहते हैं। शायद इस संबंध में धरती हमें एक पाठ पढ़ा सकती है। जब सारी धरती हिमाच्छादित हो जाती है, प्रकृति निष्प्राण हो जाती है, सभी गतिविधियाँ कुछ दिनों के लिये थम जाती हैं, पर यह दृश्य अल्पकालिक होता है। मौसम बदलते ही सब कुछ अनुप्राणित हो जाता है, जीवंत हो जाता है। इस कारण आओ मेरे 12 तक गिनती गिनने तक तुम सब शांत हो जाओ और फिर मैं चला जाऊँगा।)

Questions :
(i) How does the poet interpret ‘sadness’ ?
(ii) What lesson can the Earth teach us ?
(iii) Why does the poet recommend silence and temporary inactivity ?
Answers :
(i) The word sadness here means depression, and fear of the war clouds, about wholesale destruction.
(ii) The Earth in winter baffles us with her inactivity. It looks dead for ever. But the fact is that such rest gives her time to start life afresh. Life is eternal in nature.
(iii) A short interval of silence and stillness will relax us and give us time to plan a better tomorrow.

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