3. KEEPING QUIET - PABLO NERUDA

KEEPING QUIET- PABLO NERUDA

ABOUT THE POET

Pablo Neruda

Pablo Neruda (1904-1973)is the pen name of Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto who was born in the town of Parral in Chile. Neruda`s poems are full of easily understood images which make them no less beautiful.

He won the Nobel Prize for literature in the year 1971. In the poem Neruda talks about the necessity of quite introspection and creating a feeling of mutual understanding among human beings.

MAIN POINTS OF THE POEM

1.  The poet asks us to count to twelve and not to make any movement during this time. He asks us to stop for a second and not to move our arms even.
2. He says that by doing this, we shall experience a very useful feeling. We shall feel no hurry to worry. There shall be complete silence. We shall suddenly feel a strange togetherness with all others.
3. This quiet introspection will lead everyone to come out of there greed, selfishness and cruelty. Warmongers will give up their lust for war and start living like brothers.
4. The poet says that his advocacy of silence and stillness should not be confused with total inactivity. In fact, what he says is connected with life, not with death. And the very essence of life is activity.
5. The poet says that this little stillness and silence leads us to a better and fresh coarse of further activity.Without it, we shall never be able to understand ourselves and then we shall be as good as dead.
6. the poet gives an example to show how little stillness and silence can lead to new and better life. he give the example of the earth itself.
7. When it is winter, the earth is so still and silent that it seems to be dead. But later in spring, it is proved that it is alive, not dead. It has new beauties and colours added to it. Similarly, after a little stillness and silence of introspection, man can resume his activity in a fresh and better manner.
   

Summary of the poem

In this poem, the poet brings out the importance of quite introspection. It can transform not only the life of an individual but also the face of the earth. Pablo Neruda says that it does not need much time to within and examine oneself. During this time of introspection, one should keep still and say nothing at all. It will give him a strange feeling of togetherness with all other. He will come out of all kinds of selfishness and cruelty. Thus a man will win peace not only for himself but also for all the worlds. There will be no was and all men will live like brothers.
The poet says that his advocacy of quietness and stillness should not be confused with total inactivity.

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 be an exotic moment

      Without rush,without engines,

We would all be together

      In a sudden strangeness.

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,
would put on clean cloths
and walk about with their brothers
in the shad,doing nothing.
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
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 will count up to twelve
and you keep quit and I will go.

हिंदी भावार्थ :

कवि कहता है की अब मैं 12 तक गिनूंगा और सब शांत हो जायेंगे। सिर्फ एक बार इस पृथ्वी पर हमें किसी भी भाषा में नहीं बोलना है। हम कुछ एक पल के लिए रुक जाएँ और अपने बाजू  (शरीर ) को न हिलायें। यह बड़ा अद्भुद क्षण होगा, न कोई भाग दौड़ , न कोई मशीन चलेगी, इस अचानक उत्पन्न हुए इस माहौल में हम  सब एक साथ होंगे। 

मछुवारों को ठन्डे समुद्र में व्हेल मछलियों को नुकसान नहीं पहुँचाना है। और जो आदमी नमक एकत्रित कर  रहा है उसको अपने जख्मी हाथों को देखना चाहिए और उनको हील होने का समय देना चाहिए। 
पैब्लो  नैरुड्डा आगे  कहता है कि जो लोग नये युद्धों की तैयारी कर रहे है चाहे वह गैसों का युद्ध  हो या अग्नि का  उनको भी कुछ क्षण  शांत बैठकर आत्मचिंतन करना चाहिए।  क्यूंकि युद्ध का परिणाम हमेशा भयंकर होता है।  अंत में उस युद्ध में मिली विजय का आनंद उठाने वाला कोई  बचेगा। जब सभी आत्ममंथन करेंगे तो युद्ध टल जायेगा और सभी शुद्ध विचारों से चहल कदमी करेंगे और भाई- भाई बनकर शीतल छाया में बैठ कर आराम करेंगे। 
कवि  आगे कहता है कि मेरे शांत करने का मतलव अकर्मण्यता नहीं है। वह कहता है कि अंतर्निरीक्षण के पक्ष में उसकी बात को सम्पूर्ण निष्क्रिय नहीं मान लेना चाहिए। कवि जो भी कहता है उसका सम्बन्ध जीवन से है न कि  मृत्यु से।  हमें इस जीवन में जीवंत होकर आगे बढ़ते रहना चाहिए। हमें अपनी क्रियाओं को एकाग्रचित्त होकर करते रहना चाहिए। यदि हम ऐसा नहीं करते तो हम स्वयं को एक बड़ी शोचनीय स्तिथि में डाल लेंगे।  हम स्वयं को कभी भी समझ नहीं पाएंगे और अपने जीवन को जीते जी ही मृतप्राय बना देंगे। ऐसी बातों को घटित होने से रोकने  के लिए एकमात्र तरीका महान ख़ामोशी अर्थात गहरे अंतर्निरीक्षण में जाना है। 
कवि कहता है कि हम धरती के उदाहरण से सीख सकते है।  शीट ऋतू (पतझड़) में धरती इतनी शांत और खामोश हो जाती है। कि यह मरी हुई प्रतीत होती है। किन्तु बाद में बसंत ऋतू के आने पर यह सिद्ध हो जाता है कि यह मरी नहीं है अपितु जीवित है। इसमें नए रंग और नयी सुंदरताएँ भर आती है। इसी प्रकार अंतर्निरीक्षण की थोड़ी सी ख़ामोशी और निष्क्रियता के बाद  मनुष्य जीवन की यात्रा को नई ऊर्जा और नए दृष्टिकोण के साथ शुरू कर सकता है. 
अंत में कवि कहता  है कि तुम शांत हो जाओ और मैं  चल दूंगा। 

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS 

Q.1. what will counting upto twelve and keeping still help us achieve ? 

Ans. Counting upto twelve and keeping still gives s a quiet moment. We can introspect ourselves in this moment. We can understand ourselves. We can plan for better tomorrow. 

Q.2. Do you think the poet advocated total inactivity and death ? 

Ans. No, the poet does not advocate total inactivity and death . Life is a continuous process. But we should find a moment of stillness to introspect ourselves. Total inactivity means death. He refuses to associate with death. 

Q.3. What is the 'sadness' that the poet refers to in the poem? 

Ans. The 'sadness' that poet refers to is of never understanding ourselves and of threatening ourselves with death. 

Q.4. What symbol from Nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under apparent stillness ? 

Ans. The poet invokes the symbol of 'Earth' that looks still from outside but it has immense possibility of life within it.