Where The Mind Is Without Fear has come in the famous poetic creation “The Gitanjali” (The Songs Offerings) by Rabindranath Tagore. Click the Play button below to get Summary Theme Title of the poem Where The Mind Is Without Fear. Click Play for Summary Theme Title
Where the Mind is Without Fear Questions Answers
1. In the poem, “Where the Mind is Without Fear”, what kind of ‘Fear’ does the poet speak of ?
Ans: The poet, Rabindranath Tagore in his poem, “Where the Mind is Without Fear” speaks of the fear that stands as obstacles to the attainment of freedom. The poet wants to mean that his countrymen should have the courage of doing what they think right. The people should not possess fear to live with dignity and self-respect. The mind without fear can advance towards the greater world of thought and action.
2. “…….. the head is held high.” – What does the poet mean by the expression ‘the head is held high’?
Ans: The poet means that a nation without any dignity and self-respect lives with the head bowed down. He wishes his country to live fearlessly with dignity. She must not feel herself inferior. In that world of freedom, people never feel afraid of speaking the truth. They express whole heartedly the words what they think right and sincere. The poet wishes his countrymen to live in that world with their head is held high.
3. What is Rabindranath Tagore’s conception of freedom as reflected in the poem, Where the Mind is Without Fear ?
Ans: By freedom, Tagore means the freedom of mind. It is the freedom that gives the people of his country a mind free from fear and a life of dignity and self-respect. They will enjoy the right to the pursuit of knowledge and live in total unity regardless of caste, creed and religion. Reason and not the dead habits and customs or narrow prejudices will guide them to the path of truth and perfection. They will share their thoughts and actions with the progressive world.
4. What, according to Rabindranath Tagore, are the barriers to the attainment of true freedom
Ans: Rabindranath Tagore has pointed out various barriers to the attainment of true freedom for his country. The people of his country have to overcome fear and maintain dignity and self-respect. They are deprived of the right to education. They should rise above all sorts of prejudices and superstitions. The world without unity can create barriers to attain perfection. They should be guided by reason and not by old customs and beliefs that create barriers for the development of a nation. They should follow the path of truth. Above all, the people should not stay away from the progressive world.
5. “Where the clear stream of reason has not lost” – What is meant by clear stream of reason ? How does Tagore compare reason to a clear stream ?
Ans: The expression ‘clear stream of reason’ refers here to man’s power of reasoning in a correct way and his intellectual faculty free from all sorts of prejudices. A clear stream gently meanders its way all through, but finds no way in the desert. The sand may choke its easy flow. In this way, dead habits and customs, superstitions and prejudices may block the spontaneous flow Of man’s power of reasoning. Obsolete social systems, customs and narrow outlook are the factors that lead a nation to stagnant.Â
6. “Where the mind is led forward by thee.” – Who is ‘thee’ referred to here ? Why does the poet want the mind to be led forward by thee ?
Ans: ‘Thee’ refers here to God, the Almighty. The poet prays to God to get his countrymen rid of all evils that they are riddled with. The poet thinks that only God can guide them to the desired goal. The poet prays to God to elevate his countrymen to an ideal world of freedom.
7. What kind of knowledge does the poet pray for his country ?
Ans: The poet prays that the people of his country may have the opportunity for the unrestricted pursuit of knowledge. It is in the sense that there will be education for all. It is education that helps the people attain enlightenment and thus raises a nation to the ‘heaven of freedom’.
8. “Into that heaven of freedom…….” – What does the expression “heaven of freedom” signify ? How does the poet describe the “heaven of freedom” ?
Ans: The expression “heaven of freedom” implies an ideal place where a nation may enjoy true freedom in every sphere Of life. Such freedom will rid the nation of its prejudices and superstitions of any description, and will ensure enlightenment. In that “heaven of freedom”, people will enjoy the total liberty and will live a life of self-respect and dignity. They will pursue knowledge freely, live in unity regardless of caste, creed and religion.
9. How is the world fragmented ? How this fragmentation affect the world ?
Ans: According to Rabindranath Tagore, it is the practice of narrow prejudices and superstitions among people that breaks up the world into fragments. Such fragmentation gives rise to different races and communities ; different caste, creed and religion. It destroys unity among the people and separates one community from another. It prevails upon the people to refrain from sharing with the greater world the progressive thought and action.
10. Describe the mental set up required to attain the freedom as dreamt of by the poet in his poem, “Where the Mind is Without Fear”.
Ans: True freedom, as the poet believes, is the freedom of the mind and the spirit of the people of a country. A nation needs a fearless mind full of dignity and self-respect to win this freedom. The mind must be free from all sorts of domestic superstitions. It must be guided by reason and would discard all prejudices. The mind should love truth and perfection. It should have an ideal outlook across the world.
11. What kind of freedom does the poet wish his country to achieve in the poem Where The Mind is Without Fear ?
Ans: The poet, Rabindranath Tagore in his poem, “Where the Mind is Without Fear” wishes his country to achieve true freedom which the people of his country will enjoy in all respects of their life. They will lead a life of self-respect and dignity – a life free from fear and prejudice. They will pursue knowledge freely, live in unity regardless of caste, creed and religion. They will be guided by reason, will worship truth, attain perfection and practice broad outlook.
12. “Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls.” – How does Rabindranath Tagore describe the “narrow domestic walls”.
Ans: According to Rabindranath Tagore, the domestic walls are narrow. They are built to make small divisons of the house. They are intended to separate one part from another. Here narrow social customs and mean practices are like walls. They break a nation into the groups of caste and creed, culture and religion, destroying unity among them.
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