Where The Mind Is Without Fear

13.
Where the Mind is without Fear
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.
Rabindranath Tagore
GLOSSARY:
Narrow : of small width in relation to length

Tireless : working energetically and continuously
Stream : a small narrow river
Dreary : something that is gloomy or depressing.
World : (here) the human Society
Fragments : small parts of something; pieces
Domestic walls : the internal divisions due to caste, creed, language etc
Striving : to trying very hard to achieve something
Perfection : the act of making something perfect
Stretches : widens; makes something longer or wider
Muse : the goddess of music and knowledge
Summary:
The poem "Where The Mind is Without Fear" is an extract from the famous work of
Tagore, 'The Geetanjali'. The poem is suggestive of Tagore’s love for India and her
culture that inspired his muse. The poet seems to have felt deeply and intensely, all that
he expresses here. He visualizes the country where the people’s mind is free from fear
and narrow mindedness. He prays to God that India may become a place where under
God’s guidance they choose the path of truth and are ever willing to explore new
branches of knowledge.
I. Tick the correct alternative. (Answer given directly)
1. What is this poem about?

a) honesty
b) woman empowerment
c) patriotism
d) literacy
Ans. c – patriotism
2. How is the world broken into fragments?

a) by fear
b) by narrow domestic walls
c) by free knowledge
d) None of these
Ans. b – by narrow domestic walls
II. Say whether the following statements are True or False- (Answer given directly)
1. People can achieve perfection with struggle.

Ans. True
2. People are free, frank, fearless and live with dignity in India.
Ans. True
3. People in India are never willing to accept new ideas on the basis of reason.
Ans. False
4. Conservatism makes people unprogressive.

Ans. True
5. The people of a free nation must not be dynamic and progressive.

Ans. False
III. Match the words in column A with their meanings in column B
A B
1. Fragments understanding and skill through learning
2. striving to make longer or wider
3. awake trying very hard to get something
4. knowledge to wake up
5. stretch pieces
Ans.
A B
1. Fragments pieces
2. striving trying very hard to get something
3. awake to wake up
4. knowledge understanding and skill through learning
5. stretch to make longer or wider
IV. Answer the following question in 10 to 20 words:
(1) …….. Heaven of freedom, my father,………? What does the poet means by ‘my father’
here?
Ans. By ‘my father’ the poet refers to ‘God’.
(2) Where has this poem been taken from?

Ans. This extract has been taken from Rabindranath Tagore’s famous work ‘Geetanjali’.
(3) What divides the world into fragments?

Ans. The narrow domestic walls divides the world into fragments.
(4) How can people achieve perfection?

Ans. People can achieve perfection by tireless striving.
(5) Which path did the poet choose ?

Ans. The poet choose the path of truth.
(6) Where can we hold our head high?

Ans. We can hold our head high where the mind is without fear and where knowledge is
free.
V. Answer the following questions in 20 to 30 words each:
(1) How can the country be awakened?

Ans. The country can be awakened only if the people’s mind is free from fear and
narrow-mindedness. Every individual can be awakened if knowledge is free, everyone is
truthful and tirelessly striving towards perfection.
(2) What does the poet convey about India and its people?
Ans. The poet says that, he visualizes the country where the people’s mind is free from
fear and narrow- mindedness.
VI. Read the following poem aloud:
My India, “O my nation, my India“

I want to worship you, I want to bestow on you
Everything which is mine, I want to sacrifice on you.
I always feel to be proud, that you have given me,
A peaceful place in your heart, “O, India“.
I always salute you, I always salute you.
VandeMataram, VandeMataram
VII. Personal response:

Write a short paragraph on what you want to do for your motherland.

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13.

Where the Mind is without Fear

Narrow : of small width in relation to length

I. Tick the correct alternative. (Answer given directly)

1. What is this poem about?

2. How is the world broken into fragments?

1. People can achieve perfection with struggle.

4. Conservatism makes people unprogressive.

5. The people of a free nation must not be dynamic and progressive.

IV. Answer the following question in 10 to 20 words:

(2) Where has this poem been taken from?

(3) What divides the world into fragments?

(4) How can people achieve perfection?

(5) Which path did the poet choose ?

(6) Where can we hold our head high?

(1) How can the country be awakened?

VI. Read the following poem aloud:

My India, “O my nation, my India“

VII. Personal response:

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