Keeping Quiet
About the Poet
- Pablo Neruda
- Pablo Neruda (1904–1973) was a famous poet from Chile.
- His real name was Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto.
- He used simple and beautiful images in his poems.
- He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971.
- This poem focuses on the importance of being quiet and understanding each other.
1
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.
Stanza 1
In this stanza, Pablo Neruda appeals for a moment of global silence and stillness. He urges everyone to pause their activities and refrain from speaking any language. This moment of quietness, free from movement and noise, symbolizes a collective break from the chaos of everyday life, fostering unity and reflection.
2
It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.
Stanza 2
In this stanza, the poet imagines the moment of silence as a rare and extraordinary experience. Free from the rush and noise of engines, it would bring people together in a shared sense of calm and harmony, creating a feeling of unfamiliar yet beautiful stillness.
3
Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would look at his hurt hands.
Stanza 3
In this stanza, Pablo Neruda highlights the impact of the moment of silence on individuals and their actions. Fishermen would stop harming whales, symbolizing a pause in exploitation of nature, while the salt gatherer would reflect on his physical suffering, representing a moment of self-awareness and acknowledgment of human toil.
4
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.
Stanza 4
In this stanza, the poet addresses those responsible for destructive acts like wars over resources, chemical warfare, and other forms of violence that lead to meaningless victories. He envisions them abandoning their aggression, symbolized by putting on clean clothes, and choosing peace and camaraderie, spending time with others in calm, harmless inactivity.
5
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.
Stanza 5
In this stanza, the poet clarifies that his call for silence and stillness should not be mistaken for advocating inactivity or death. Instead, it is about embracing life by pausing to reflect. He criticizes humanity's relentless focus on constant motion and productivity, suggesting that a moment of profound silence could disrupt the sadness caused by a lack of self-understanding and the constant fear of mortality. This pause would offer an opportunity for deeper introspection and connection.
6
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.
