English 302
English-302
Chapter-10
Where the Mind Is Without Fear
Summary
The poet prays to God to convert his nation into heaven of freedom, free of all ills. He prays to God
for the people of his nation to be fearless and courteous, and for equitable access to education for
everyone. He wants India to progress in leaps and bounds as a consequence of people's hard work.
Their words, actions, and ideas should all be clear and synchronized.
The country will move above superstitions and illogical ideas. As a result, the poet prays
passionately to God to grant his nation light. He prays to assist his people in transforming his
country into a haven of liberty.
Important points from the poem:
• Where the mind is without fear is a prayer to god, where Tagore envisions the idea of a new and
enlightened India. Tagore envisages an ideal nation that is liberal in outlook and united in
strength.
• The poem was written by Tagore during the time when India was under British Rule and people
were eagerly waiting to get their freedom. It is a pre-independent poem in which the poet wants
his countrymen to awake and enjoy a life of full dignity and honour.
• It is a prayer to the Almighty for a nation free of any manipulative or corrupt forces. This poem
reflects the poet's ideal and kind character. The poet truly begs and prays to God to awaken his
fellow creatures, that their nation is free of oppression, and that each individual is allowed to
raise his head high. He implores his countrymen to be diligent, truthful, and reasonable in order
to help the country reach its full potential. The poet wishes for peace and prosperity among his
countrymen, and he prays for his country's general well-being and reliability.
• He wants his people to understand the value of living in a free and united country. In this poem,
the poet begs God to grant his country such freedom of thought and expression, freedom from
superstitions and the bonds of social evils. He wishes for the people to be honest, open-minded,
and hardworking.
• There should be a fearless atmosphere, and the country should be a place where knowledge is
available to everyone equally and without discrimination based on caste, gender, or religion.
• He wants a nation where people are truthful and words come out from the depth of their hearts.
He wishes for a nation where everyone is free to toil and work hard for anything they desire for
their own or for the good of the nation. The poet prays to God that Indians should be logical and
progressive in thoughts and actions. He wants the power of reason to dominate the minds of his
countrymen. He does not want the ‘stream of reason’ to be lost among outdated customs and
traditions.
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• He begs God to assist his countrymen to a moral awakening in order for them to fight for their
rights against the inhumane restrictions of the British. Remove their dread of oppression,
repression, and subjection. They should be self-assured rather than constrained. Countrymen
should be unprejudiced and receptive to new challenges and developments. They should live
decent and dignified lives.
• To summarize, “Where The Mind Is Without Fear” is a poem in which Tagore reveals his
personal quest for the Divine, and thus, this poem is remarkable in that it expresses the intensity
of the feeling of freedom. His poem has a universal appeal, imagining a "heaven of freedom" and
a brighter future for humanity.
• The poem's message is that in order to enjoy the freedom of life and country, people must be
fearless, self-dignified, knowledgeable, truthful, hardworking, and broad-minded.
Following poetic devices have been used in the poem Where the Mind is Without Fear:
• Metaphor: an expression, that describes a person or object by referring to something that is
considered to have similarcharacteristics to that person or object. There are various examples
of metaphors in this poem. e.g. “narrow domestic walls” refers to various barriers, “clear stream
of reason” refers to a mind which is always guided by reason rather than superstitions, “dreary
desert” symbolizes superstitions.
• Allitération: It is the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or
closely connected words. e.g. “where the mind is without fear”, “head is held high”, “not been
broken”, “striving stretches”, “dreary desert sand of dead habit”.
• Symbolism: The poet uses various symbols in the poem. e.g. “depth of truth”, “narrow domestic
walls”, “clear stream of reason”, “the dreary desert sand”, “heaven of freedom”.
Important words from the passage :
1. Fragments: pieces
2. Domestic: related with family
3. Tireless - striving: continuous efforts and struggle.
4. dreary: dull
5. Dead habit: old traditional rituals and customs that are harmful
6. Ever-widening: forever broadening one’s outlook.
Evaluate yourself:
1. What do you think about the current state of the country in the poet's eyes after reading the
poem?
2. Do you agree with the poet that our minds should be fearless and free? Give options.
3. What qualities does the poet wish to inculcate in his countrymen?
4. Describe the poet’s version of ‘heaven of freedom’?
5. Bring out the significance of the title of the poem.
Do you know?
Rabindranath Tagore was a well-known and legendary Indian poet. In addition, he was a great
philosopher, patriot, painter, and humanist. He loved to travel and visited over thirty countries
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during his lifetime. He disseminated the essence of Indian culture and literature all over the world.
Even years after his death, this sage-like man lives on in the hearts of the people of India through
his invaluable contributions to literature and music.
Extend your horizon.
Tagore believed that children should be educated in a way that makes them happy and creative. He
believed that children should learn outside of the British schooling system's strict and rigid
discipline. Conduct some research to learn about Tagore's philosophy on education. Learn about
Shantiniketan and the key elements of Tagore's educational policy.
