Question

Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow:
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.
(a) What does the poet say in the first two lines?
(b) What does the poet want once on the face of the Earth?
(c) What does the poet want for one second?

Hint:

When answering questions based on a poetry extract, always base your answers directly on the lines provided. First, explain the literal meaning of the words, and then explore any deeper symbolic meanings. Quoting key phrases from the extract can strengthen your answer.

Answer 1

(a) What does the poet say in the first two lines?
Step 1: Analyzing the Lines: The first two lines are "Now we will count to twelve / and we will all keep still."
Step 2: Detailed Explanation: In these opening lines, the poet, Pablo Neruda, makes a direct appeal to the reader and all of humanity. He proposes a simple, collective action: to count up to twelve and then cease all activity, becoming completely still. The act of counting serves as a preparation for a moment of shared silence and introspection.
(b) What does the poet want once on the face of the Earth?
Step 1: Analyzing the Lines: The relevant lines are "for once on the face of the Earth / let's not speak in any language,".
Step 2: Detailed Explanation: The poet desires a unique moment of global unity. He wants, for the first time, for all people on Earth to stop speaking. By not speaking in any language, the barriers and divisions that different languages create would momentarily disappear. It would be an "exotic moment" of togetherness, free from misunderstanding and conflict.
(c) What does the poet want for one second?
Step 1: Analyzing the Lines: The lines are "let's stop for one second, / and not move our arms so much."
Step 2: Detailed Explanation: For a brief period of just one second, the poet urges everyone to cease all physical movement. The phrase "not move our arms so much" is symbolic. "Arms" can represent both the tools of labor (work) and the weapons of conflict (war). By asking us to stop moving our arms, the poet is calling for a temporary halt to all human activities, whether they are constructive or destructive, to allow for a moment of pure being and reflection.