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 toward 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.
Short Summary of Rabindranath Tagore's "Mind Without Fear" (Bengali Poem Titled: চিত্ত যেথা ভয়শূন্য)
"Mind Without Fear" is a poem by Rabindranath Tagore that envisions an ideal world of freedom, justice, and dignity. Tagore expresses his desire for a country where people live without fear and are free to pursue knowledge and truth. The poem urges individuals to break free from narrow divisions of caste, creed, and geographical boundaries, allowing their minds to be guided by reason and clarity. Tagore also emphasizes the importance of striving for perfection through hard work and sincerity. Ultimately, the poem reflects the poet’s hope for a liberated, progressive, and unified society.
Rabindranath Tagore's "Mind Without Fear" Analysis in Bengali
"Mind Without Fear" কবিতায় রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর একটি আদর্শ পৃথিবীর স্বপ্ন দেখিয়েছেন, যেখানে স্বাধীনতা, ন্যায় ও মর্যাদা বিদ্যমান। তিনি এমন একটি দেশের কামনা করেছেন যেখানে মানুষ ভয়ের মধ্যে বাস করবে না এবং মুক্তভাবে জ্ঞান ও সত্যের অনুসরণ করতে পারবে। কবি মানুষকে জাতপাত, ধর্ম এবং ভৌগোলিক সীমানার সংকীর্ণ বিভাজন থেকে মুক্ত হওয়ার আহ্বান জানিয়েছেন, যাতে তারা যুক্তি ও স্পষ্টতায় পরিচালিত হতে পারে। তিনি কঠোর পরিশ্রম ও আন্তরিকতার মাধ্যমে উন্নতির জন্য প্রচেষ্টার গুরুত্বও তুলে ধরেছেন। এই কবিতায় কবির মুক্ত, প্রগতিশীল এবং ঐক্যবদ্ধ সমাজের প্রত্যাশা প্রতিফলিত হয়েছে।
"Mind Without Fear" কবিতাটি দেশকে পাপাচার থেকে রক্ষা করার জন্য ঈশ্বরের কাছে প্রার্থনা জানিয়ে লেখা হয়েছিল। যখন রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর কবিতাটি লিখেছিলেন ভারত তখনও ব্রিটিশ শাসনের অধীনে ছিল এবং লোকেরা অধীর আগ্রহে স্বাধীনতার জন্য অপেক্ষা করছিল। তাই এই কবিতায় কবি ভারতবর্ষের স্বাধীনতার পর কর্মধারার বিকাশের কথা বলেছেন এবং কুসংস্কার দূর করে ভারতকে এক স্বর্গরাজ্য রূপে দেখেতে চেয়েছেন।
Rabindranath Tagore's "Mind Without Fear" Line-wise Explanation:
Where the mind is without fear
- This line sets the tone for the poem, describing an ideal state where one's mind is free from fear, anxiety, and oppression.
and the head is held high
- In this state, individuals can hold their heads high, symbolizing confidence, dignity, and self-respect.
Where knowledge is free
- Knowledge should be accessible and unrestricted, allowing people to explore and learn without boundaries.
where the world has not been broken up into fragments
- Tagore envisions a world where people are united, not divided by narrow identities, ideologies, or geographical boundaries.
by narrow domestic walls
- These "domestic walls" represent the barriers created by societal norms, prejudices, and petty divisions.
Where words come out from the depth of truth
- In this ideal world, words are genuine, reflecting the deepest truths, rather than superficial or manipulative expressions.
where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
- Individuals strive tirelessly for excellence, self-improvement, and spiritual growth.
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
- Reason and rational thinking guide human actions, preventing the distortion of truth.
into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
- Habit and convention do not stifle creativity and progress.
Where the mind is led forward by thee
- This line addresses a higher power or divine force guiding humanity toward progress and enlightenment.
into ever-widening thought and action
- Under this guidance, human thought and action expand, embracing broader perspectives and possibilities.
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake
- Tagore concludes by longing for his country (India) to awaken to this vision of freedom, where minds are unrestricted, and humanity flourishes.
This poem is a powerful vision for individual and societal liberation, emphasizing the importance of freedom, knowledge, unity, and spiritual growth.
"Where the Mind is Without Fear" is a poem by Rabindranath Tagore that is often studied in Class 8. Here are some questions and answers that might help you with your studies:
1. What does the expression 'mind is without fear' mean?
- The poet envisions a country where people live without fear and with dignity. It means having the freedom to think and express oneself without any fear of oppression.
2. What does 'head is held high' signify?
- This signifies self-respect and confidence. The poet wants his countrymen to live with pride and self-respect.
3. What does the poet mean by 'where knowledge is free'?
- The poet dreams of a place where education is accessible to everyone, regardless of their social or economic status.
4. What breaks the world into fragments according to the poet?
- The poet believes that narrow domestic walls such as caste, creed, and religion divide people and break the world into fragments.
5. What is meant by 'tireless striving'?
- The poet urges his countrymen to work hard continuously and strive tirelessly to achieve their goals and make their country a better place.
6. Who is the poet addressing as 'thee' and 'my father'?
- The poet is addressing God as 'thee' and 'my father', praying for his country to be free and progressive.
7. What is the 'heaven of freedom' that the poet refers to?
- The 'heaven of freedom' refers to an ideal state where people are free from fear, oppression, and narrow-mindedness, living in harmony and with dignity.
8. What does the poet pray to the Almighty for?
Ans. The poet prays to the Almighty to let his country awake. This signifies a yearning for his nation to be an ideal place, a place where freedom, knowledge, and clear thinking prevails.
9. What are ‘reason’ and ‘dead habit’ compared to?
Ans. The poem compares reason to a “clear stream” and dead habit to “dreary desert sand”.
10. How is the world broken into fragments?
Ans. The people of the world are broken into fragments due to societal barriers like race, religion, caste, economic class etc.
11. Explain what the ‘tireless striving’ should be for.
Ans. Tireless striving refers to making continuous efforts for the betterment of oneself and the society. People must always try to improve themselves and work towards making this world a better place for all.
12. ‘Where words come out from the depth of truth.’ Explain in your own words.
Ans. “Where words come out from the depth of truth” means people speak honestly and from the heart.
13. Who is ‘Thee’ in the poem? What does the poet appeal to ‘Thee’ to do?
Ans. In the poem, ‘Thee’ could be God or a higher power which guides humanity. The poet appeals to ‘Thee’ to let his country be the best it can be.
14. What should people keep on widening? How can it be done?
Ans. People should keep widening their knowledge and using that knowledge to do good things. Knowledge can be acquired through reading books, exploring different ideas etc.
15. From what darkness of night should our nation awake?
Ans. Darkness of night refers to people being illiterate, afraid and fearful. Waking up from this darkness means moving towards a brighter future filled with knowledge, freedom, and progress.
16. What attributes of Rabindranath Tagore does the poem (prayer) reflect?
Ans. The poem reflects the following attributes-
- Freedom of thought
- Education and knowledge
- Unity and breaking down social barriers
- Honesty and truthfulness
- Constant progress
- Reason and logic
17. What effect does the repetition of the word ‘where’ at the beginning of each line?
Ans. The repetition of the word ‘where’ at the beginning of each line emphasizes the poet’s vision of an ideal world and his longing for his country to achieve that ideal state.
18. Find out the examples of ‘Metaphor’ from the poem.
Answer- Metaphor- Clear stream of reason
Clear stream of reason represents critical thinking and logic. Just as a clear stream provides fresh water, reason provides a clear path for progress.
Metaphor: Dreary desert sand of dead habit
Dreary desert sand of dead habit represents blind adherence to outdated and harmful traditions
Just as a dry desert is an obstacle to life, following outdated traditions hinders progress.
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. 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.
22. 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.
23. 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.
24. According to the poet, how should knowledge be?
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.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS-ANSWERS:
How far does India of today resemble Tagore's vision of free country?
Answer: To our mind India of today does not resemble Tagore's vision of a free country. Rabindranath Tagore was a patriotic nationalist. He has a special vision of independent India. He was of the view that our country should awakened into a state of ideal freedom which he calls the "heaven of freedom". In the state of ideal freedom his country men will have no fear, no humiliation. People should walk with their heads high. A country full of knowledge, wisdom, unity, progress, devotion was the desire of the poet Rabindranath Tagore.
What does Tagore mean by 'deary desert sand of dead habit'?
Answer: The power of reasoning has been compared to a clear stream because where there is no clarity there can be no reason. This clear stream of reason is likely to get lost and dried in the dreary desert sand of dead habit. The Nation occupies the highest place which has fresh and clear thinking and not the bareness of dead habit.
According to the poet, how can perfection be achieved ?
Answer: People make constant effort to take their country to the highest place, perfection can be achieved through fearless mind, free knowledge and deep philosophical wisdom. Above all it can be achieved through tireless effort.
What sort of a place is the poet talking about in the first two lines ?
Answer: In the first two lines the poet Rabindranath Tagore has written about the ideal state of freedom. Where the mind of its people is free all fear and humiliation. Where they do not have to bow their heads before their master. Such a feeling will progress rapidly.
What does the poet pray to God with regard to the state of mind of the Indians ?
Answer: The poet was pained to think of the economic and social backwardness of the Indian people. He was not only a nationalist but a great spiritualist as well. He had firm faith in India. He prayed to God for spiritual, moral and economic freedom for the Indian people. He prayed further that his country should grow up in an atmosphere of fearlessness.
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