B.

Com 1st Year Subject- English

'Where the Mind is Without Fear' Rabindranath Tagore

The original poem bears the title ' Prarthana' i.e. prayer. The poem is a prayer to a universal father-
figure, presumably, God.

The poem was written by Rabindranath Tagore during the time when India was under the British
Rule and people were eagerly waiting to get their freedom from the British Rule. This poem had given a
lot of strength to the people who were struggling for India’s independence. It is a prayer to the
Almighty for a hassle free nation free from any kind of manipulative or corrupted powers.

The poet wishes to be awakened to a heaven where the mind can work fearlessly and the spirit can
hold its head high, where one can acquire knowledge in all freedom of choice, where the big world of
man is not fragmented or restricted to small mutually exclusive compartments, where everybody
speaks his/her heart clear, where actions flow in the form of various streams moving from success to
success, where petty conventions do not stagnate the course of judgment, where manhood is not
pieced, where God himself leads us in all acts, all thoughts, and all sources of delight. We need a strong
motivating slap by God to be elevated to that heaven.

Rabindranath Tagore sketches a moving picture of the nation; he would like India to be. In lines 1-2, the
poet pledges to the Almighty that his country should be free from any fear of oppression or forced
compulsion. He wants that everyone in his country should be free to hold their heads high in dignity. He
dreams of a nation where knowledge or education would be free that is education should not be
restricted to the upper class only but everybody should be free to acquire knowledge. There should not
be any caste distinctions or gender distinction when it comes to education.

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

Tagore, in his poem ‘Where The Mind Is Without Fear’ wishes for a world which is not ‘fragmented’ by
prejudices based on caste, creed, color, religion or other baseless superstitions. Prejudices and
superstitions should not divide the people in groups and break their unity (line 4). He wants a nation
where people are truthful, not superficial and words should come out from the depth of their hearts
(line 5). The sixth line of ‘Where The Mind Is Without Fear’ talks about the poet yearning for a country
where people would strive without getting tired to reach perfection leaving behind prejudices and old
traditions. In the next line, line 7, Tagore wants the power of reason to dominate the minds of his
countrymen, he does not want the ‘stream of reason’ to be lost amongst outdated customs and
traditions and only that can direct the mind towards selfless thoughts and everlasting action

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

In the final line of the poem, Tagore asks the ‘Father’, presumably God to awaken his country into such
a heaven of freedom.
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 poem is patriotic in nature considering the independence and the happiness of the countrymen as
the most important factor. If a country lacks such requirements, the countrymen can never be at peace.

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B.Com 1st Year Subject- English

Consequently, the society will be full of disharmony and social unjust. The poem sends a message that
the society should be free from all social evils, only then it can lead to progress. Therefore, Tagore prays
to God to create such an ideal society for his motherland. Make sure you go though the critical analysis
of Where the Mind is Without Fear.

Tryst with Destiny

Jawaharlal Nehru

"Tryst with Destiny" was a speech made by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of
independent India, to the Indian Constituent Assembly in The Parliament, on the eve of India's
Independence, towards midnight on 14 August 1947. It focuses on the aspects that transcend India's
history. It is considered to be one of the greatest speeches of all time and to be a landmark oration that
captures the essence of the triumphant culmination of the largely non-violent Indian independence
struggle against the British Empire in India.

Jawaharlal Nehru was the first prime minister of India. He was a great statesman who is responsible for
all the progress of India. As the prime minister of India, Nehru shaped the foreign policy of the country
and gave gib support for the development of science and technology Nehru was originally a lawyer but
he was also an expert in most other subjects. The people of India respected his vast knowledge and
called him'Pundith Nehru'.

India won Independence from England on the 15th August, 1947. At the very stroke of midnight in the
clock, Nehru announced the happy news of the freedom of India to the entire world. During
the colorful ceremony held at New Delhi, the flag flag of England was pulled down and the
new tricolor national flag was hoisted. After that, Nehru delivered a historic speech which is known as
"Tryst with Destiny".

Nehru began his speech by referring to the pledge made by Indians long years ago to win the freedom
for the homeland. Freedom has finally come and the long suppressed soul of the nation is liberated.
Nehru asks the people of India to dedicate themselves to the service of India and to the service of the
whole mankind.

India emerged as a new nation in the early hours of 15th August, 1947. Behind this success lies the long
and great sacrifice done by the freedom fighters of many generations. According to Nehru, the people in
India will collect their courage from the principles of the past. The success celebrated on the 15th
August is only an opportunity for great successes in future. He asks the people on India to accept this
challenge and to serve the future generation of India.

Nehru reminds the people of India that freedom and power bring responsibility Before 1947, India
used to depend upon England for leadership and guidance. After 1947, India is her own master. The
country has to take its own decisions, learn from mistakes and move forward. India has to grow into a
mature and wise nation and be a model to other nations.

Nehru feels that all Indians should work hard for the development of their dear nation. Doing service to
India means doing service to million of poor people who suffer all over the county. Nehru feels that the
past is over and it is the future that has to be taken care of. It is for the future generations that we have
to dedicate ourselves. Nehru urges the people to labor and to work hard to give reality to the dreams of
the nation. Those dreams are not only for India but for the entire world. According to Nehru. all the
countries in the world are closely connected. No one can live in isolation. Peace, freedom and
prosperity are the common property of all humanity. Nehru warns the people that disaster in one part
of the world can affect everyone else, because the world cannot be divide into small isolated pieces.

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B.Com 1st Year Subject- English

TENSES

Tenses denote time of action. Time can be divided into three parts: Present Past and Future.

Tense

Present

Classificati
on of Tense

Future Past

Present Tense

Continuous Perfect

Perfect
Indefinite
Countinous
Present
Tense

Present Tense Simple Present Tense:

The Simple Present
The Simple Present is a tense that expresses action in the present time, habitual actions, or general
truths.
Example: The sun rises in the east.
Present Continuous:
It describes an incomplete ongoing present action that is in the middle of happening, but will finish at
some point. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb be (am/is/are) with the present participle
verb form ending in "ing".
Example: The boys are playing cricket.

Present Perfect Tense:

It signifies that an action started in the past and continued to present time, in which it is completed.
This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb have (have/has) with the past participle form of the
verb.

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B.Com 1st Year Subject- English

Example: I have finished my work.

Note: Present perfect is never used with adverbs of past time.

Present Perfect Continuous:

It describes an action that began in the past and continued up to present time, In which it is (or most of
it) is completed. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb have (have/has) together with the
auxiliary verb been and the present participle form of the verb ending with "ing"
Example: They have been doing the work since Eight o'clock.

Past Tense

Continuous Perfect

Perfect
Indefinite
Countinous
Past
Tense

Simple Past Tense

It is an action or situation that was finished in the absolute past and has no connection with the present.
Most past Simple verbs end in wed" (regular verbs).
Example: I learnt French in Delhi.
Past Continuous It describes action which went on during a stretch of time in the past and finished.
This tense in formed by using the verb be (was/were) with the present participle form of the verb
ending in “ing”
Example: when I met him, he was reading a novel.
Past Perfect Tense:
It describes an action completed in the past before certain point in time or an action which happened in
the very distant past. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb have (had) with the Past
participle form of the verb.
Example: you had studied English before you moved to New York.
Past Perfect Continuous:
It describes an action that began before a certain point in the past and continued up to that time in past.
This tense Is formed by using the auxiliary verb have (had) together with the auxiliary verb been and
the present participle form of the verb ending with "ing".
Example: She had been working at that company for three years when It went out of business:

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B.Com 1st Year Subject- English

Future Tense

Continuous Perfect

Perfect
Indefinite
Countinous
Future
Tense

Simple Future Tense:

It describes an action or situation that has still to take place. This tense is usually formed by using the
auxiliary verb will with the base form of the verb.
Example: I will call you when I arrive.
Future Continuous:
It describes an ongoing action that will be in process around a point of time in the future. This tense is
usually formed by using the auxiliary verb will together with the auxiliary verb be and the present
participle form of the verb ending in "ing".
Example: He will be waiting for her when she arrives home tonight.
Future Perfect Tense:
It describes that a future action will be completed before a point in time or before another action in the
future. This tense Is formed by using the auxiliary verb will together with the auxiliary verb be and the
past participle form of the verb.
Example: BY next November, I will have received my promotion.

Future Perfect
It is describes an along future action that will continuous and will be completed before point in time or
before another action in the future. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb will, the auxiliary
verb have (have), and the auxiliary verb been together with the present participle form of the verb
ending in “ing”.
Example: They will have been talking for ever an hour by the time Madam arrives.

Tense Simple Continuous Perfect Perfect

Continuous
Present Form: Form: Form: Form:
S + V in the Present S + am/is/are + ing S + has/have + S + has/have +
He + reads + a book form P.P been + ing form
He + is + reading a He +has + reads + He + has + been +
book a book reading + a book
Past Form: Form: Form: Form:
S + V in the Past S + was/were + ing S + had + P.P S + had+ been + ing
He + reads + a book form He +had + read + form
He + was + reading a book He + had + been +
+ a book reading + a book
Future Form: Form: Form: Form:
S + will/shall + verb S + will/shall + be + S + will/shall + S + will/shall +
root ing form root have + P.P have been + ing
He + will +read + a He + will + be + He +will + have + form
book reading + a book read + a book He + will + have +
been + reading + a
book

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B.Com 1st Year Subject- English

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