Q. 1. Which is the exotic moment that the poet refers to in ‘Keeping Quiet’? [Delhi Set-I, 2014]
OR
What is the exotic moment referred to in the poem, ‘Keeping Quiet’? What makes it exotic? [Comptt., Outside Delhi, Set-I, II & III, 2012]
Ans. Value Points: Silence / stillness / no speech / no movement / counting to twelve / keeping still / without rush / without engines / all together in a sudden strangeness / a moment of introspection / taking a break from all types of violence and war mongering / fostering understanding with others.
Detailed Answer: The exotic moment referred to in ‘Keeping Quiet’ is the moment when everyone will introspect and will get time to look into one’s inner self. There will be a feeling of mutual understanding and a feeling of oneness in a different way, thus, taking a break from violence and war.
Q. 2. According to Pablo Neruda, how would keeping quiet be an exotic moment? [Foreign Set I, 2017]
Ans. Value Points: - Exotic because no rush or noise
- machines not working
- complete silence
- strange and exotic
- everyone will be united.
Detailed Answer: According to the poet, keeping quiet would be an exotic moment because there would be no rush or noise or sound of machines working. There would be complete silence on earth; everyone would be together in a sudden strangeness. Everyone will be united.
Q. 3. Why does one feel ‘a sudden strangeness’ in counting to twelve and keeping quiet? [Outside Delhi Set II, 2015]
Ans. Value Points: - Counting up to twelve and introspection will build a sudden and strange feeling of universal brotherhood / enjoy a unique moment / exotic moment / unusual / everything has come to a standstill / no talk / no activity One feels a ‘sudden strangeness’ in counting up to twelve because it will build a feeling of brotherhood. It will be a unique moment as there will be silence add around and everyone would fell united.
Q. 4. How will ‘Keeping Quiet’ protect one’s environment? [HOTS] [Outside Delhi Set III, 2015]
Ans. Value Points: In a moment of inactivity fishermen will not harm the whales / man will not indiscriminately exploit nature for his vested interests and harm himself (man gathering salt will look at his own hands) / e.g., no green wars, no wars with gases.
Detailed Answer: ‘Keeping Quiet’ will protect our environment as it will give everyone time to introspect and to think about the consequences of their actions. Human beings will not harm other creatures and all wars will come to an end. man will not indiscriminately exploit nature for his vested interests and harm himself
Q. 5. ‘Life is what it is about...’ How is keeping quiet related to life? [Outside Delhi Set I, 2015]
Ans. Value Points: – People pursue their goals single-mindedly to keep their lives moving – would be better if they give themselves some time for rest – keep quiet – will help when they are sad / don’t understand themselves / threaten themselves with death – silence is productive and stillness is progress – how earth seems still but nurtures life under apparent stillness.
Detailed Answer: ‘Keeping Quiet’ is related to life because in life, we need to pause for a moment and introspect. It is only when we introspect, that we realise the consequences of our actions and are able to correct them. Introspection will help us all live in peace and harmony and also understand ourselves. It will help us when we are sad so that we don’t threaten ourselves with death. Keeping quiet will nurture good thoughts within us just like mother Earth.
Q. 6. Which sadness is Pablo Neruda referring to? [Delhi Set-I, 2014 Comptt., Delhi Set-I, 2013]
Ans. Value Points: Sadness of never understanding ourselves and nature threatening ourselves with death or destruction.
Detailed Answer: The sadness that Pablo Neruda refers to is the sadness of not knowing ourselves. In the race to live our lives, we forget to stop and ponder what is it that we actually need and that leads to sadness.
Q. 7. Which symbol from nature does the poet use, that there can be life under apparent stillness. [Delhi Set III, 2015]
OR
What symbol from nature does the poet use to prove that ‘Keeping Quiet’ is not a total inactivity ? [Foreign, 2014]
Ans. Value Points: ‘Earth’ seeming to be still is very much alive underneath / nurturing life under the apparent stillness, e.g., ‘when everything seems dead and later proves to be alive’. In winter, seeds buried are dormant but sprout in the spring
Detailed Answer: Poet uses two symbols to prove his statement:
(i) ‘Earth’ seeming still is very much alive underneath / has a murmuring life under the apparent stillness, e.g., ‘when everything seems dead it later proves to be alive.’
(ii) In winter, seeds buried are dormant but sprout in the spring.
Q. 8. What does the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ teach us ? [HOTS] [Comptt., Outside Delhi Set I, 2015]
Ans. The poem ‘Keeping Quiet’, teaches us to be quiet for some time and introspect. The poet urges us to stop all our activities, thoughtless actions and also to stop the race of moving from one day to another. To know ourselves and to rejuvenate ourselves, we must go inwards and introspect.
Q. 9. What will counting up to twelve and keeping still help us achieve? [Delhi Set I, 2015]
OR
What does the poet mean to achieve by counting up to twelve? [Delhi Set-I, II & III, 2013]
OR
How will counting up to twelve and keeping still help us? [CBSE, SQP II, 2012]
OR
Why does Pablo Neruda want us to count till twelve and keep still? [Comptt., Delhi Set I/II/III, 2017]
OR
Why does the poet want to count to twelve? [Comptt. Delhi/Outside Delhi 2018]
Ans. Suggested Value Points: So that one has time to introspect; to pause before taking action; to calm oneself down; to keep still; to realize the harm we are doing to the earth; to realize the harm we are inflicting on ourselves; to realize that we are all brothers.
Detailed Answer: Counting up to twelve and keeping still will help us to introspect. It will make us pause for a moment and to think over our thoughts and actions. This will make man realise the consequences of his actions and he will be able to make amends for himself. This will lead to harmony and peace in the world and peace within. It will help us to think about ourselves and about the world around us. It will make us think about the chaos that we human beings have created. It will help us to introspect and think and will thus strangely unite us all in silence.
Q. 10. How, according to Neruda, can keeping quiet change our attitude towards life? [HOTS] [Comptt., Delhi & Outside Delhi, 2014]
OR
What will keeping still help us achieve? [Comptt., Delhi Set II, 2017]
Ans. Value Points: To pause before taking action/time for introspection/will help in fostering harmony and brotherhood/will help in bringing wars to an end.
Detailed Answer: Keeping quiet will create silence, it will give us time to think, to introspect, to evaluate our actions and to act more responsibly.
Q. 11. How would keeping quiet affect life in and around the sea? [Outside Delhi Set I, 2017]
Ans. Value Points: - Whales /sea life wouldn’t be harmed
- helpful in maintaining ecological balance
- person gathering salt would look at his hurt hands
- gives everyone time for introspection
Detailed Answer: Keeping quiet would affect life in and around the sea in two ways. By keeping quiet, the fisherman will not kill whales for some time. Also, salt gatherers will get some time to heal their hurt hands. Thus it will give time to everyone for introspection.
Q. 12. What are green wars? Who wage them and with what result ? [Foreign Set II, 2017]
Ans. Value Points: - What - wars against the environment - Who wages them – human beings (politicians, hunters) - results in - destruction of the environment.
Detailed Answer: Green wars are wars against environment. Politicians, hunters etc. wage them which results in destruction of the environment.
Q. 13. According to Pablo Neruda, what do we not do when we keep quiet? [Foreign Set III, 2017]
Ans. Value Points: - We do not harm ourselves
- do not harm the environment, not divided
- not speak different languages
- do not get distracted by the outside world.
Detailed Answer: According to the poet, when we keep quiet, we do not harm ourselves and environment. We are not divided as we do not speak different languages.
