Class 12 English NCERT Solutions Flamingo Chapter 3 Stay Calm Poem Free PDF Download
keeping cool questions and answers class 12 flamingo english
NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English
Keeping Calm Text Questions and Answers
Question 1.
What will ‘counting to twelve and standing still’ help us to accomplish? [Delhi 2015]Answer:
Counting to twelve and remaining still will help us understand and introspect ourselves. We will be able to realize the true impact our selfish actions have on each other and ultimately on all of humanity.
Question 2.
Do you think the poet advocates complete passivity and death?
Answer:
The poet does not advocate ‘complete passivity’ because he has a strong belief in life. He wants everyone to live a perfect life full of peace and satisfaction. He wants everyone to take some time off from the busy schedule and introspect to improve the quality of life.
Question 3.
Which ‘sorrow’ has the poet mentioned in the poem?
Answer:
The poet mentions the sorrow that all human beings experience due to the lifestyle of constant work, stress, aggression and destruction. This sorrow comes because man does not understand himself.
Question 4.
What symbol of nature does the poet invoke to show that there can be life under apparent peace? [Delhi 2015. Foreign 2014]Answer:
The poet uses ‘Earth’ as a symbol to invoke that there can be life even after apparent peace. The Earth appears ‘stagnant’ from the outside but is alive and vibrant from within. Similarly, our silence can help us maintain harmonious life on Earth and prevent destruction.
Calmly Solved Question Bank
context-to-context practice
Read the excerpts below.
Question 1.
Now we will count to twelve [All India 2016]And we will all remain stable.
Once on the face of the earth let’s not speak in any language, let’s pause for a second, and let’s not move our arms so much.
answer the following.
(a) The poet urges humanity to remain silent for a period of twelve counts. (right wrong)
(b) According to the poet, we can count to twelve by remaining still. (right wrong)
(c) The poet wants us not to ____________ in any language.
(d) We should not move our ____________ even for a second.
Answer:
(Truthful
(b) wrong
(c) speak
(d) weapon
Question 2.
This will be a unique moment
Without crowd, without engine,
we will all stay together
In sudden strangeness.
answer the following.
(a) This will be a unique time because no engines will be running around. (right wrong)
(b) The poet imagines a unique moment of peace that would exist without ____________.
(c) When we all get together there will be a sudden ____________.
(d) What kind of moment will there be when there is no engine or rush?
Answer:
(Truthful
(brush
(c) strangeness
(d) foreigner
Question 3.
fishermen in the cold sea
Will not harm whales
And the man is collecting salt
I will look at his injured hands.
answer the following.
(A) Fishermen are hurt by whales in the cold sea. (right wrong)
(b) The salt collectors will investigate the extent of the destruction their trade has caused at their hands. (right wrong)
(c) Fishermen hunt ____________ in the cold sea.
(d) ____________ are affected by salt collectors.
Answer:
(A) wrong
(b) is true
(c) whale
(d) hand
Question 4.
Those who prepare for a green war, a war with gas, a war with fire, to win without leaving anyone alive, will wear clean clothes and walk with their brothers…
answer the following.
(A) Fighting a green war leads to victory for all survivors. (right wrong)
(b) Wars using gas and fire as weapons are wars in which no one survives. (right wrong)
(c) If there is silence on the war front, who will wear clean clothes?
(d) With whom will these former warriors move?
Answer:
(A) wrong
(b) is true
(c) fighters
(d) brother
Question 5.
…maybe a big silence [Foreign 2016]can interrupt this sadness
to never understand oneself
and bullying myself
Death.
answer the following.
(a) Silence will help us understand ourselves. (right wrong)
(B) Humans are currently threatening us with death. (right wrong)
(c) What happens due to not understanding each other?
(d) In a noisy world we do not ____________ ourselves.
Answer:
(Truthful
(b) is true
(c) sadness
(d) understand
Question 6.
In the shadows, doing nothing.
It shouldn’t be what I want
Unclear
With complete inactivity.
Life is what it’s all about;
I don’t want no truck full of death.
If we weren’t so single-minded about keeping our lives moving, and couldn’t do anything for once, maybe a great silence could break this sadness of never understanding ourselves and threatening ourselves with death Is.
answer the following.
(a) According to the poet, doing nothing should not be confused with complete inactivity. (right wrong)
(b) Our only concern is to keep our life dynamic. (iVue/Faise)
(c) If we did nothing, a great silence would ____________ the sadness of our present world.
(d) What destruction are humans bringing upon themselves due to their continuous activity?
Answer:
(Truthful
(b) is true
(c) interference
(d) death
Question 7.
maybe the earth can teach us
like when everything seems dead
And later proves to be alive.
Now I will count to twelve
And you keep quiet and I will leave.
answer the following.
(a) The poet is counting to twelve, so that we can hide from him. (right wrong)
(b) Earth teaches us to be outwardly peaceful and inwardly productive. (right wrong)
(c) By remaining silent we may appear ____________ externally.
(d) ____________ can teach us to introspect
Answer:
(A) wrong
(b) is true
(c) dead
(d) earth
Stay Calm, Short Questions and Answers
Question 1.
‘Life is everything.’ How is being silent related to life? [All India 2015|
Answer:
‘Keeping Quiet’ is related to life because, in order to live a complete life, one must live life to its fullest. In order to live quality life, which is full of happiness, peace, and satisfaction, we must develop a habit of thinking deeply and this can be achieved through introspection.
Question 2.
Why does one feel a sudden strangeness on counting to twelve and keeping quiet? [All India 2015]Answer:
When a person remains calm and stops all his selfish actions and takes a break from the monotonous routine, he gets time to introspect and analyze his actions. This suddenly creates a feeling of awkwardness as we never take a break from busy activities and constant conversations.
Question 3.
How will remaining silent protect our environment? [All India 2015]Answer:
Being silent means stopping all activities for a moment and introspecting. This will help us to analyze what kind of actions we are doing for our own selfishness but which harm nature. This moment will make us understand the fact that harmony with nature is extremely essential for the survival of mankind.
Question 4.
What effect would ‘remaining silent’ possibly have? [All India 2015]Answer:
Remaining silent will develop mutual understanding among all humans and will help in understanding themselves. We will be able to understand the fact that a balance between nature and humans is essential for our survival on earth.
Question 5.
What is the fascinating moment that the poet has mentioned in ‘Keeping Quiet’? |Didhi 2014]Answer:
The poet refers to that unique moment when everyone will be calm and quiet and there will be no noise or mad running. This will create an environment of peace and tranquility without any conflict, quarrel, compromise or war. This moment will bring a feeling of unity among all human beings.
Question 6.
How can remaining silent change our outlook towards life? [Delhi 2013 (C)]Answer:
If we shut up for a moment to introspect and stop our selfish and destructive actions, it will help us understand ourselves and may change our perspective.
Question 7.
What images in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ show that the poet condemns violence? [All India 2014 (C)]Answer:
Pablo Naruda gives images of ‘green war’, ‘war with gas’ and ‘war with fire’ and then associates these wars with ‘victory with no survivors’. This is to emphasize the fact that wars will bring about the end of the entire human race. This shows that he condemns violence.
Question 8.
What are the different types of wars mentioned in the poem? What is Neruda’s attitude towards them? [All India 2013]Answer:
Pablo Neruda referred to ‘green war’, ‘war by fire’ and ‘war by gas’. The poet does not appreciate the concept of war. He condemned it by saying that these wars would result in victory and no one would be left alive. Therefore instead of these wars and conflicts we should develop the concept of mutual understanding and co-existence.
Question 9.
How can suspension of activities help? [All India 2012]Answer:
Suspension of activities will help us introspect. This will provide an insight into the blind race
And we do selfish things. When we all are able to consider and analyze our actions and attitudes, we will develop mutual understanding and realize the importance of coexistence.
Question 10.
Why is Pablo Neruda against complete passivity?
Answer:
The poet is against complete inaction because it means death, whereas the poet has a strong belief in life. He just wants us to introspect and take a break from the busy, aimless life.
Question 11.
What does the poet want from all the criminals of war?
Answer:
The poet wants them to free their conscience from jealousy and selfish motives. They should stop fighting and develop the understanding of peace among humans.
Question 12.
What will be the ultimate end of man if the present scenario of wars and conflicts continues?
Answer:
If the current scenario of war and destruction continues, it will lead to the complete destruction of humanity. We will all be destroyed and there will be no one left to celebrate the victory.
Question 13.
How will our mental state change if we remain silent and suspend activity for some time?
Answer:
The poet believes that if we all stop for a moment and introspect and realize the impact of our actions, we will be able to understand the need to live together and develop mutual understanding for survival on earth. This realization will bring about a change in our state of mind and our attitude towards each other.
Question 14.
How will remaining silent affect the ocean and life around it? [All India 2017]Answer:
Remaining silent will affect life in and around the ocean as fishermen will not kill whales and salt gatherers will rest their injured hands.
Question 15.
How is Earth the source of life when everything on it appears to be dead? [All India 2017]Answer:
When everything on Earth appears to be dead, it’s not exactly quiet. It appears calm but in reality, it is nourishing life below.
Question 16.
How does complete dormancy occur on Earth during the winter months that are teeming with life? [All India 2017]Answer:
There is complete inactivity in nature during the winter months. But the poet does not advocate complete passivity. They feel that the stillness of the winter months is ripe with hope for a peaceful world.
Question 17.
According to Pablo Neruda, how would being silent be a unique moment? [Foreign 2017]Answer:
The poet feels that the moment of silence will be a unique moment as it will be an example of universal brotherhood, peace and harmony. At that moment we all will begin introspection through meditation and the whole world will sink into renunciation.
Question 18.
What is green war? Who paid them and with what results? [Foreign 2017]Answer:
Green war means waging war against nature by damaging the environment.
People wage war against nature for their own selfish interests. All wars arise from lack of self-understanding.
Question 19.
According to Pablo Neruda, what do we not do when we remain silent? [Foreign 2017]Answer:
According to Pablo Neruda, when we are silent we should all not speak in any language nor engage in any type of physical activity to disturb the peace. A pause in our worldly activities will remove all our troubles.
