Where is the Mind Without Fear
About Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore was an Indian poet, He was born in 1861 in Calcutta, India. He was and is the foremost poet in the Bengali language, and was also versed in short story, play, and essay writer, as well as painting and composing music. He started writing poetry early and throughout his life he publish several books as well as a complete collection of his work.
In 1913, he became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. His goal was to blend the best of Indian and Western poetry, an element of his writing clearly present in his poem, Where the Mind is Without Fear. During the time in which this poem was written India was still under the control of the British Empire. In 1915, only 5 years after this poem was written, Tagore was awarded a knighthood but gave it up in protest only four years later when British troops killed 400 Indian demonstrators. He died in 1941 in Calcutta.
Where is the Mind Without Fear Summary
"Where the mind is without fear" is a poem written by Rabindranath Tagore, a famous Bengali poet, philosopher, and polymath. The poem was originally written in Bengali and was included in his collection of poems, Gitanjali, which was published in 1910.The poem is a prayer to God, in which the speaker expresses his desire for a world without fear, where people are free to express their thoughts and ideas without any restrictions. The speaker longs for a world where people are not divided by narrow domestic walls of caste, religion, or nationality, and where knowledge is not limited by the boundaries of books.
The poem is a powerful expression of Tagore's vision of a society based on freedom, equality, and knowledge. It reflects his deep humanism and his belief in the power of the human mind to transcend all limitations and achieve the highest ideals of life. Overall, "Where the mind is without fear" is a timeless masterpiece that continues to inspire and resonate with readers around the world.
Where is the Mind Without Fear Questions & Answers
1 According to the poet, how should knowledge be?
Answer: According to the poet, knowledge should be free which means every person has knowledge about worldly matters. Knowledge keeps the people united not dividing them on the basis of caste and creed. The poet wants to say that if people living in the country posses knowledge then only it can develop.
2. “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high”
(a) Who says this and in which poem?
(b) What does the word ‘where refer to?
Answer: By “where” Rabindranath refers to the “heaven of freedom” where he likes his motherland to be awakened by God. This freedom means not only political freedom but also moral and spiritual freedom.
1: Read the lines and answer the questions:
(a) What do the expression ‘mind is without free’ and ‘head is held high’ mean?
Answer: The poet says that no countrymen of his should live in fear on his mind at all times. Instead, they should hold their head up fearlessly and have confidence in themselves.
(b) When knowledge is not free, what will be the impact?
Answer: When knowledge is not free people who are poor will not get the right education and will become a thief or a labourer and will decrease human capital and economy of India.
(c) What breaks the world into fragments?
Answer: The world is broken into fragments by the narrow domestic walls like caste system, social classes, religion, color, creed and so on.
2: Read the lines and answer the questions:
(a) What does the line’ Where words come out from the depth of truth mean?
Answer: The poet wants his countrymen to be truthful and sincere. They should not tell lies or be hypocrites. They should speak what they feel and should be guided by clear thinking in any matter.
(b) Why has the poet used the word ‘tireless’ to describe ‘striving’?
Answer: The poet has used the phrase tireless striving to urge his countrymen to break free from sloth and struggle hard constantly to achieve perfection in whatever they choose to do to make their country a free nation.
(c) What comparison did the poet give between the poet and dead habit?
Answer: The poet has compared reason to a clear stream and dead habit to a dry desert. Where The Mind is Without Fear Questions & Answers
3: Read the lines and answer the questions:
(a) Whom does the poet address as ‘thee’ and ‘my father’?
Answer: The poet is addressing to God as thee or my Father.
(b) According to the poet, what must be done for achieving ‘ever -widening thought and action?
Answer: Ever-widening thought and action means we should not be narrow or shallow in our mentality. We should have a broad heart. And a broad mind. They should enrich their thinking day by day.
(c) Describe the poet’s version of ‘heaven of freedom’?
Answer: By ‘heaven of freedom’ the poet means India’s social, cultural and psychological independence and unity. Question
4: According to the poet, how should knowledge be?
Answer: According to the poet, knowledge should be free which means every person has knowledge about worldly matters. He says that if people living in the country possess knowledge then only it can develop. Knowledge keeps people united not dividing them on the basis of caste and creed.
5: Bring out the significance of the title of the poem.
Answer: ‘Where the mind is without fear’ the title of Tagore’s poem is merely the first line of the poem. It refers to a place where people would be fearless, heaven of freedom that the poets dream of. Tagore prays to God to lift his country to such a place where people would not only be fearless but also knowledgeable, hardworking and truthful etc. And probably fearlessness was the first condition that came to Tagore’s mind while writing about his heaven of freedom. So, the title is apt and relevant as it very well expresses what the poet wishes for.
6: According to the poet, what is ‘dead habit’?
Answer: According to him, dead habit means a country which has not lost the right path in the dreary desert of old traditional rituals and customs that are harmful for the country and the society. Question 7: What kind of ‘domestic wall’ is the poet speaking about? Answer: The poet is talking about the barriers of class, caste, creed, colour, religion and other elements that divide people from one another. In most cases, those are baseless superstitious beliefs and good for nothing. So, these were Where The Mind is Without Fear Questions & Answers.
Where the mind is without fear
Gitanjali -35 by Rabindranath Tagore
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; Where knowledge is free; Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls; Where words come out from the depth of truth; Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection; Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit; Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action- Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
It was originally composed in Bengali possibly in 1900 under the title “Prarthana”, meaning prayer. ... Later in 1911 Tagore himself translated the Bengali poem into English and that translation appeared as poem 35 in his Nobel winning anthology “Gitanjali” (Song Offerings) published by the Indian Society, London in 1912.
Gitanjali is composed of two words Git means song and anjali means offering, thus the complete meaning is offering of songs. Gitanjali was released in 14 different languages at Kolkata by Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal on 8 August 2013. Reminisce the magnificent work of Tagore and get ready to be amazed by the mesmerising Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore – Song Offerings of 103 verses.
One of my favourites and the most inspiring one is “Where the mind is without fear” – Verse 35 of Gitanjali.
Rabindranath Tagore was born in 1861 in Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta). He belonged to a Brahmin family. His father, Maharishi Debendranath Tagore, was a scholar and religious reformer. Tagore was a bengali poet, writer, composer, and painter. His composition, Jana Gana Mana, was sung for the first time at the Calcutta session of the Congress. Along with many other of his literary works Gitanjali, the collection of poems (song offerings) is one of the most acclaimed works of Tagore. It is part of the UNESCO Collection of Representative Works.
The original Bengali collection of 157 poems was published on August 14, 1910. The english version of Gitanjali (Song Offerings) self translated by Tagore and published by the Indian Society of London is a collection of 103 song offerings. Tagore received the Nobel Prize for Literature, for the English translation, Song Offerings. Tagore’s own English translations of his Bengali poems first published in November 1912 by the Indian Society of London. The English version contained translations of 53 poems from the original Bengali Gitanjali, 50 other poems from Tagore’s drama Achalayatan and eight other books of poetry 17 poems were taken from Gitimalya, 15 from Naivedya and 11 from Kheya.
Where the Mind is Without Fear by Rabindranath Tagore
Where the Mind is Without Fear is one of the most powerful works by Bengali writer, Rabindranath Tagore. This simplified English language translation is 11 lines, without a rhyme scheme. The original Bengali version of the poem is called, Chitto jetha bhoyshunyo, and was published in 1910 before India gained its independence from Great Britain and was in the midst of protests and demonstrations against British rule.
Where the Mind is Without Fear Analysis
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held highhere knowledge is free
The poem begins with these two short lines which are the basis of the hopes that Tagore has for his country. These partial sentences, along with the following six are finished by the last line of the poem in which Tagore explains, these are places into which he wishes India would wake up. That a change will come over the country and it will be able to move to a more culturally and politically free period. Specifically in which, “the mind is without fear.” This being the title line of the poem, its importance cannot be ignored. It is one of the most important tenants of Tagore’s dream India. One must be able to live without fear of the repercussions of their thoughts, as well as living without fear of physical harm coming to them as they live their lives. The second half of this first line adds on to the importance of the first half, not only must one be able to live without fear of physical repercussions of what they believe, they must also be able to be proud of their beliefs, be able to express them freely in open society.
The second line of the poem turns to knowledge, in this perfect India, all knowledge must be free. There cannot be barriers, keeping the middle and lower classes from seeking out new information and bettering their lives.
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
The third statement describing this ideal world refers to home and societal life and the way in which women and men are separated, and how narrow their differences are. This idea of walls can also be expanded to once again include different classes of people, a problem faced by the Indian people for decades. Because of the way in which one class is separated from another in all the facts of life, from where and how they live, to where they work and who they work for, the world has become fragmented into small groups that do not interact or touch in any way.
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfectio
The next line of the poem references a more philosophical factor in Tagore’s utopian India. The words that spoken, no matter who by, must come from the very depth of truth. This is a way of living that is very controversial, and of which many might say would have the adverse effect.
But in Tagore’s world, absolute truth is a necessity. The sixth line of the poem presents an idea that many would agree with without much criticism, that if one works hard, or strives tirelessly, one will eventually reach perfection. Perfection, or whatever goal one has in mind. Hard work would always pay off, another addition to Tagore’s goal for India.
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
The next two lines are more complex. In this scenario that Tagore has set up in these line he is referring to the trouble that one will run into when they start on a path reasonably and with a goal in mind, but then fall into a habit and are unable to reach what they were striving for. Tagore uses a “clear stream” as a metaphor for reason, it flows easily and cleanly. It is good for everyone. This stream of reason has “not” in Tagore’s world, “lost its way,” by venturing into habit. To balance this metaphor, he compares a dreary desert to “dead habit.” One must be willing to change, to try new things in his utopian India.
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
The last three lines of the poem make clear reference to Tagore’s desire to blend Western and Indian poetry together. He states one final element of his society, one which can be interpreted in multiple ways. The mind of the people must be led forward by “thee.” In this line he could be referring to God, as he does in the next line, or perhaps he references his previous statements as a whole. He is, in a way, adding on to the previous lines, stating that this stream of reason must be “led forward…” The last two lines conclude all of the partial sentences that make up the bulk of the poem. The mind must be led forward into “ever-widening thought and action.” The mind must not be culled in any sense of the word, it must be allowed to expand without limits, and act on the notions it believes to be best. This world that he has crafted he now refers to as “that heaven of freedom.” He asks “my Father” presumably God, to let his country wake into this heaven.
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