FLAMINGO –KEEPING QUIET (POETRY)

MULTIPLE CHOICE TYPE QUESTIONS

1. The poet asks to count till-
a) twelve b) ten c) twenty d) thirty
2. The poet suggests to speak-
a) In many languages b) in no language c) Through body language d) in gestures
3. Whales are harmed by-
a) Sailors b) salt gatherers c) fishermen d) survivors
4. What symbol from nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under stillness?
a) Tree b) seed c) sea d) Earth
5. Keeping Quiet has been composed by-
a) Kamala Das b) John Keats c) Pablo Neruda d) Robert frost
6. What will “counting up to twelve and keeping still” help us to achieve?
a) Happiness and joy b) peace and unity c) kindness and empathy d) integrity and discipline
7. “Not move our arms”- implies that we should stop-
a) Exercising b) working hard c) using weapons d) interacting
8. ‘Exotic moment’ refers to a moment of-
a) Ecstasy b) being exquisite c) strangeness d) excitement
9. “What I want should not be confused with total inactivity”- the poet here advocates-
a) No work b) being dead c) keeping quiet d) thinking and acting
10. The main theme of the poem ‘keeping quiet’ is to –
a) Establish the necessity of quiet introspection b) denounce violence and wars
c) Spread awareness towards environment d) inculcate value of quietude and silence
11. What would NOT be the result of keeping quiet?
a) Peace and harmony b) violence, wars and destruction c) environmental awareness d) mutual respect
12. Identify the worst effect of wars according to the poet.
a) Loss of property b) total inactivity c) pollution d) victory with no survivors
13. According to the poem, Earth is an example /symbol of apparent stillness with potential life. Which one of
the following may be quoted as similar example?
a) Warriors indulge in green wars b) underground seeds grow into fruitful trees
c) Fishermen harm ocean life d) salt gathers hurt their hands
FILL UPS/SENTENCE COMPLETION TYPE QUESTIONS - FLAMINGO - KEEPING QUIET (POETRY)
1. The poet suggests counting up to ________________.
2. The poet doesn’t suggest speaking in _______________ language.
3. Whales are harmed by the ______________________.
4. The symbol from nature that the poet evokes to say that there can be life under apparent stillness is _____________.
5. ‘Keeping Quiet’ has been composed by _____________.
6. Counting up to twelve and keeping still will help us achieve ____________________________.
7. The poet has used pun in the word __________ to suggest that we must stop using weapons.
8. ‘Sudden Stillness’ refers to an_____________ moment, according to the poet.
9. The poet’s suggestion of quiet introspection should not be confused with ____________ _______________.
10. The main theme of the poem is to establish the necessity of __________________________________.
11. ‘Keeping Quiet’ would result in _________________________________.
12. The worst effect of war as mentioned in the poem is victory with ______________________________.
13. Earth symbolizes apparent stillness with potential life. Another example of this concept can be ________________
14. ‘Speaking in no language and not moving our arms so much’ would help the humanity to create a feeling of
___________________________________________.
15. “Looking at his hurt hands’ refers to the necessity of _________________________________________.
REFERENCE TO CONTEXT TYPE QUESTIONS - FLAMINGO - KEEPING QUIET (POETRY)
1. “Now we will count to twelve, and we will all keep still”
a. Name the poem and the poet.
b. Why does the poet suggest to count to twelve?
c. What does he mean by “Keep still”?
d. What would you prefer to do when you are extremely tired or hectic due to work?

2. “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. In which language does the poet suggest to speak?
b. What does the poet mean by ‘stop for a second’?
c. What is the pun in the word ‘arms’? Explain.
d. How will “speaking in no language and not moving our arms so much” help humanity?

3. “Fishermen in the cold sea, would not harm whales, And the men gathering salt, would look at his hurt hands”
a) Who would get time to look at their hurt hands?
b) Which poetic device has the poet used in “his hurt hands”?
c) What does the poet mean by saying “fishermen would not harm whales?”
d) Suggest any one measure that you could take as a student to save environment.

4. “Perhaps a huge silence, might interrupt this sadness of never understanding ourselves and of threatening
ourselves with death”
a) According to the poet, what will help us to interrupt our sadness?
b) What is the sadness that the poet refers to?
c) How can we understand ourselves?
d) Mention any one place where silence helps people to function smoothly.

5 “Perhaps the Earth can teach us as when everything seems dead and later proves to be alive……”
a) Which symbol of nature does the poet refer to here?
b) Name the poem and the poet.
c) Explain: “seems dead and later proves to be alive”.
d) According to the poet, Earth symbolizes apparent stillness with potential life. Give any one similar example.