In this post, I am sharing Where the Mind is Without Fear By Rabindranath Tagore Summary, Analysis, and Questions & Answers. 2023.
Poem Where the Mind is Without Fear 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 Father, let my country awake.
Composed By Rabindranath Tagore
Word-Meaning
the head is held high: confident, free and proud
narrow domestic walls: divisions and partitions of different kinds between countries and within societies
tireless striving: working hard continuously to achieve something
clear stream of reason: logical and scientific thinking
the dreary desert sand of dead habit: dull, age-old, meaningless customs, habits and ideas
ever-widening thought and action: open mindedness, progress and achievements
About The Poet:
Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), a Nobel Prize winner, was a poet, novelist, musician, painter and a playwright. This poem features in his most well-known collection Gitanjali. The original Bengali version of the poem has the title Prayer. And that is what the poem actually is. The poet prays for a world that is free from all kinds of evil.
Summary of Where the Mind is Without Fear By Rabindranath Tagore
“Where the Mind is Without Fear” is a poem by Rabindranath Tagore that celebrates the idea of a world without fear, division, and narrow-mindedness. The poem is a prayer that calls for a world where people hold their heads high, where knowledge is free, and where narrow domestic walls do not divide the world into fragments. The poet also emphasizes the importance of truth, tireless striving towards perfection, and clear thinking.
The speaker prays for a world where reason is not lost in the desert of dead habit, but instead leads the mind towards ever-widening thought and action. The heaven of freedom that the poet envisions is one where people are free from all forms of evil, and where the mind is led forward by the divine into a world of endless possibilities.
The poem uses vivid imagery to convey its message, including the metaphor of a clear stream of reason that has not lost its way in the desert of dead habit. The poem also makes use of alliteration, such as in the repetition of the “w” sound in the line “Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls.”
The poem suggests that prejudices, disagreements, and narrow beliefs can obstruct our growth, and calls on us to recognize our shared humanity and work towards a more inclusive and equitable society. Overall, “Where the Mind is Without Fear” is a powerful call for freedom, unity, and enlightenment, and has become one of Tagore’s most celebrated works.
Must visit These Posts
1-When I heard the learned Astroomer
*Reading Where the Mind is Without Fear By Rabindranath Tagore
A. Answer these questions. (Where the Mind is Without Fear By Rabindranath Tagore)
1. What does the speaker mean by the head is held high?
2. What does the speaker mean by where knowledge is free?
3. What are narrow domestic walls?
4. What are the different qualities of the heaven of freedom for which the speaker prays?
Answers: (Where the Mind is Without Fear By Rabindranath Tagore)
- When the speaker says “the head is held high” in the poem, they mean that people are confident, free and proud. They are not afraid to express their ideas and opinions, and they are not afraid to be themselves. This represents a sense of self-assurance and dignity.
- In the poem, “where knowledge is free” means that knowledge should be accessible to all, without any kind of restrictions or limitations. Everyone should have the freedom to learn and acquire knowledge, regardless of their social status, gender, or other factors that may limit their access to education.
- “Narrow domestic walls” refers to divisions and partitions of different kinds between countries and within societies that limit people’s interactions and understanding of one another. These walls can be physical or cultural, and they prevent people from learning about and appreciating different cultures, beliefs, and ways of life.
- The speaker prays for a world where people are not limited by their narrow beliefs and customs, where they are able to speak the truth from the depths of their hearts, and where they work tirelessly to achieve perfection. The speaker also envisions a world where people are not bound by dead habits and customs, but are free to think openly and progressively, with reason and logic. In this heaven of freedom, people are led forward into ever-widening thought and action, with a sense of open-mindedness, progress, and achievement.
Chapter 1 George’s Secret Key to the universe
Chapter 3 The Hound of the Baskervilles
Chapter 4 Macbeth and the Witches
Chapter 6 River, Up Close and personal
Chapter 7 The Ransom Of Red Chief
Chapter 9 The Vulture and the Great Spirit
Chapter 13 it will Never happen to You
Chapter 14 The Christmas Truce
B. Think and answer. (Where the Mind is Without Fear By Rabindranath Tagore)
1. Do you think that the speaker prays not just for his country but for the whole
of humanity? What makes you think so?
2. When talking about reason, the speaker creates a vivid picture of a stream of
water drying up and disappearing in a desert. What pictures does he create when talking about these?
a an undivided world
b. complete honesty in speech
C. the process of achieving perfection
Answers: (Where the Mind is Without Fear By Rabindranath Tagore)
- Yes, it can be inferred from the poem that the speaker prays not just for his country but for the whole of humanity. The language used in the poem is universal in nature and speaks to the human condition rather than just the specific circumstances of one country. Additionally, the speaker refers to “my Father” in the poem, which can be interpreted as a reference to a higher power or God who is concerned with the well-being of all humanity.
- When talking about an undivided world, the speaker creates the picture of “fragments” that have been broken up by “narrow domestic walls”. This implies a world that is broken apart and divided by various barriers. When talking about complete honesty in speech, the speaker creates the picture of “words coming out from the depth of truth”, which suggests a sense of authenticity and sincerity. Finally, when talking about the process of achieving perfection, the speaker creates the picture of “tireless striving stretching its arms towards perfection”, which evokes a sense of hard work and determination.
C. Appreciating the Poem (Where the Mind is Without Fear By Rabindranath Tagore)
1. Alliteration is the repeated use of the same consonant sound at the beginning
of each word in a line of verse. Can you find two instances where the poet has used alliteration in this poem?
2. A metaphor is a word or phrase that is used to refer to another thing in order
to show or suggest that they are similar. The poet uses the metaphors clear stream’ and ‘dreary desert sand’ in this poem. What do they stand for? Which does poet value highly and which does he consider harmful?
Answers:
- Yes, there are two instances where the poet has used alliteration in this poem:
- “Where words come out from the depth of truth”
- “Where tireless striving stretches its arms”
- In the poem, the metaphor “clear stream of reason” stands for logical and scientific thinking that leads to progress and enlightenment. This is something that the poet values highly. On the other hand, the metaphor “dreary desert sand of dead habit” stands for dull, age-old, meaningless customs, habits, and ideas that hinder progress and growth. This is something that the poet considers harmful and wishes to be overcome. The use of these metaphors helps to convey the poet’s message about the importance of reason and the need to break free from harmful habits and customs in order to achieve progress and enlightenment.
D. Going Further
1. Do prejudices, disagreements and narrow beliefs obstruct our growth? If yes,
can you give some examples from everyday life?
2. All human beings are one. Yet there are narrow domestic walls in our society.
Do you agree with this? Support your answer with reasons,
Answers:
- Yes, prejudices, disagreements, and narrow beliefs can obstruct our growth in many ways. For example, if someone holds a prejudice against a certain group of people, they may not be open to learning about or working with those individuals, which can limit their opportunities for growth and development. Similarly, if someone has narrow beliefs and is not open to new ideas or perspectives, they may miss out on valuable learning experiences and opportunities for personal growth. Disagreements can also hinder growth if they are not approached in a constructive way, as they can create animosity and prevent people from working together effectively towards common goals.
- Yes, I agree that there are narrow domestic walls in our society that prevent us from recognizing our shared humanity and working towards common goals. These walls can take many forms, such as social, economic, or political divisions between different groups of people. They can also be perpetuated by prejudices, stereotypes, and other forms of discrimination. The existence of these walls prevents us from recognizing and addressing the common problems that we face as a society, and can lead to a lack of empathy and understanding between different groups of people. In order to overcome these walls, we must strive to recognize and celebrate our shared humanity, and work towards building a more inclusive and equitable society.
Compare our content with other websites Click Here