(a) What does the Earth teach us? (b) What does the poet mean to achieve by counting upto twelve?

Question

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: 

“Perhaps the Earth can teach us 

As when everything seems dead 

And later proves to be alive

Now I will count upto twelve

And you keep quiet and I will go.” 

(a) What does the Earth teach us? 

(b) What does the poet mean to achieve by counting upto twelve? 

(c) What is the significance of “keeping quiet”?

Answer 1

(a) The earth teaches us how new life springs from dead remains and how there is life under apparent stillness. 

(b) The poet wants to achieve peace by counting upto twelve. He wants us to introspect in a moment of silence. 

(c) Keeping quiet doesn’t mean being idle. It means that we should avoid all such activities, which are hurting the nature and, in turn, us.