The poem Keeping Quiet Essay Example

in various aspects within the text, including referencing the twelve hours in a day and night as periods for reflection on our lives.The text explains that the number twelve has symbolic significance in various contexts. In scripture, it represents the twelve gates of Revelation, symbolizing the twelve tribes and adorned with precious stone foundations. It also symbolizes God's governance. The poem "Keeping Quiet" uses twelve as a representation of unity and oneness. Other symbolic uses of twelve include the twelve days of Christmas and the twelve months in a year.

Moving forward, the text discusses how the poet expresses through lyrical verse that our world is facing imminent destruction. Multiple issues plague our planet, and people are desperately seeking assistance. This dire situation is attributed to human selfishness and self-centeredness. Wars caused by humans result in bloodshed and division among people. Racism, confusion, and disorder are consequences of prioritizing self-interest.

Furthermore, humans destroy nature out of greed and engage in harmful actions. The poet urges us to reflect on the significance of twelve before it's too late. It is our responsibility to unite regardless of skin color or race for the sake of future preservation. Coming together for peace and good neighborliness holds immense importance as peace is equally vital to material wealth in this world.Meditating allows us to acknowledge our mistakes and leave behind a valuable legacy for future generations. We must remember that everything we have is borrowed from our ancestors and needs to be preserved. In order to combat the destructive culture around us, it is important to meditate and reflect, as suggested by Tolle: "As a spiritual practice, I suggest that you investigate

your relationship with the world of things through self-observation" (Tolle, 38). The poet uses irony in stanza four to show how futile war is, emphasizing that no one ultimately survives. Through his words, he depicts victorious warriors dressing in clean clothes and walking beside their fallen comrades (Shull, 56). By doing so, the poet conveys a different meaning altogether: the importance of avoiding wars. To emphasize the urgency of stopping environmental pollution, imagery is used. Specifically, metaphors are employed by the poet to represent this phenomenon. In line one of stanza four, he refers to those who cause destruction to the environment as "those who prepare green wars" (Shull, 56). This association between environmental pollution and acts of war illustrates how developed countries harm the environment through carbon emissions. By using the term "war," the poet highlights just how severely pollution impacts not only the environment but also Earth's population.In addition, the second stanza employs consonance through "sudden strangeness," highlighting the aftermath of twelve minutes of silence. This emphasizes the significance of experiencing a moment without noise from vehicles like airplanes and speedboats. Furthermore, the repetition in the first and second lines emphasizes the importance of maintaining silence. The poem uses simple language with easily understandable vocabulary, revealing a tone that conveys the necessity of being silent for a while. Ultimately, it addresses the need for introspection to foster mutual understanding, respect, and love within humanity. The poet envisions a time when everyone will come together to contemplate togetherness. They urge individuals to refrain from using words and instead communicate silently through their souls. This resulting silence will create a unique moment of connection among

us, allowing us to escape current noise and commotion. The poet also mentions fishermen ceasing their killings and salt gatherers pausing to examine their injured hands from laborious tasks. Additionally, they suggest those planning wars should pause, contemplate, and engage in friendly interactions without taking action.The poet cautions against total inactivity or demise, as it is not his intention. He contends that individuals are presently so preoccupied with meeting their own desires that they overlook the importance of pausing and contemplating themselves and those nearby. By embracing moments of silence, he believes humanity can come together in a unique tranquility that would promote better mutual understanding.