Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda

Counting up to twelve and keeping still will help us achieve perfect silence, which will give us time to think, to introspect, evaluate out actions and act more responsibly. The moments of silence would be exotic. Man would get an opportunity to realise how he is destroying the nature and how he is harming himself. ‘Gr een Wars’ imply wars with environment causing environmental degradation. ‘Wars with gas’ cause environment pollution and ‘wars with fire’ means nuclear wars. These wars will provide a victory with no survivors. It means there would be no one to celebrate victory. So, the war mongers should walk together, putting clean clothes, spreading the message of brotherhood and love; and cleanse their
mind of ill-feeling and hatred.

A long silence might interrupt the sadness of men as they could analyse their wrongs and follies and create a mutual understanding and the spirit of brotherhood among people. Pablo Neruda is referring to the sadness of never understanding ourselves and nature and threatening ourselves with death or destruction. The poet says keeping quiet is not total inactivity, i.e. death. ‘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’. Thus, human beings can learn from the earth/nature to be quiet and still and grow at our own pace. We should make progress but without any aggression, selfishness and the urge for destruction.
Mention two good things that can happen because of keeping quiet for a short while? Stopping of killing of animals, e.g., whales. It implies that we’d stop working for selfish goals. War mongers will walk together, spreading the message of brotherhood and love.
Which is the exotic moment that the poet refers to? The poet refer to a moment of introspection, taking a break from all types of violence and
warmongering, and fostering understanding with others.