Through this poem the poet wants to convey a message of peace and togetherness. He starts the poem by counting up to 12 which symbolizes the 12 month of the calendar or 12 hours of the clock. In the stanza first, he says we should keep quiet and still and don’t speak different languages because silence doesn’t have any language and will create peace and unity among us and by not moving our hands will leads to no destructions. In the stanza second, he says that it will be rare condition when there will be no rush, no sounds of engines when everyone will be calm and quiet, united with each other. In the stanza third, The poets wants from us to not damage our environment by deforestation, mining, and putting green chemical waste into the water bodies. In the fourth stanza, poet wants to clear that by stop saying anything or doing anything doesn’t mean that we will be a non-active person. In the stanza fifth, he gives an example of nature that when season changes it brings lots of changes like in winter season the water bodies becomes freeze and tress shed their leaves but when spring comes it gives lives to new blossoms and nature.
The title of the poem suggests to keep your mind soul calm. The poet is all about to influence everybody towards the motive of peace. And to be united forever.
Counting upto twelve refers to 12 months of the calendar or 12 hours of the clock. And by keeping quiet and still will help us to achieve the togetherness and peace in the world and will save the earth.
No, the poet didn’t advocate total inactivity and death. He conveys through his poem that we should keep calm and still to bring peace and to realize what we have been doing and its consequences, and should not do wars and should protect our environment and earth.
Whatever we have been doing without thinking of it’s consequences will later lead us to sadness in our living. Poet says we all are in hurry in achieving our goal but sometimes this rush leads to danger and brings sadness in our lives.
What symbol from Nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under apparent stillness?
The poet took the example of earth to show that there can be a life under apparent stillness. He says with change in seasons, it brings so many different things with it. As in winter the water bodies gets freeze, trees shed their leaves but as soon the spring season comes it brings some new life with it. It gives lives to new blossoms, and nature gets new lives. He says by keeping quiet and still it doesn’t mean that it is total inactive but it means by doing so a new life and phase will begin.