Keeping Quiet - Summary
Keeping Quiet is a celebrated poem by Pablo Neruda, one of the most renowned poets whose real name is Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto. He serves as an inspiration as a poet, diplomat, and senator.
In this impactful poem, Neruda shines a light on the significance of silence and peace in a world often full of noise and disputes. He encourages us to take a moment to pause and think, suggesting that true harmony can be achieved when we look inward and reflect on ourselves.
Understanding the Message of Keeping Quiet
The central theme of “Keeping Quiet” is that in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, we often overlook the simple act of being still. Neruda invites us to stop talking and moving for a brief time. This special moment of quiet could help create deeper understanding and connection among all of us.
Keeping Quiet Poem Lyrics in English
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 a 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 not look at his hurt hands.
Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victories with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.
What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about…
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.
Now I’ll count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.
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