About the poet

▪ Rabindranath Tagore - a celebrated Bengali poet, short-story

writer, song composer, playwright, essayist, and painter who introduced
new prose and verse forms and the use of colloquial language
into Bengali literature, thereby freeing it from traditional models based on
classical Sanskrit.
▪ He was highly influential in introducing Indian culture to the West and vice
versa, and he is generally regarded as the outstanding creative artist of
early 20th-century India. In 1913 he became the first non-European to
receive the Nobel Prize for Literature.
▪ The son of the religious reformer Debendranath Tagore, he early began to
write verses, and, after incomplete studies in England in the late 1870s, he
returned to India.
▪ There he published several books of poetry in the 1880s and
completed Manasi (1890), a collection that marks the maturing of his
genius. It contains some of his best-known poems, including many in
verse forms new to Bengali, as well as some social and political satire that
was critical of his fellow Bengalis.
▪ In 1901 Tagore founded an experimental school in rural West
Bengal at Shantiniketan (“Abode of Peace”), where he sought to blend the
best in the Indian and Western traditions. He settled permanently at the
school, which became Visva-Bharati University in 1921.
▪ Years of sadness arising from the deaths of his wife and two children
between 1902 and 1907 are reflected in his later poetry, which was
introduced to the West in Gitanjali (Song Offerings) (1912).
▪ From 1912 Tagore spent long periods out of India, lecturing and reading
from his work in Europe, the Americas, and East Asia and becoming
an eloquent spokesperson for the cause of Indian independence.
▪ Tagore’s novels in Bengali are less well known than his poems and short
stories; they include Gora (1910) and Ghare-Baire (1916), translated into
English as Gora and The Home and the World, respectively. In the late
1920s, when he was in his 60s, Tagore took up painting and produced
works that won him a place among India’s foremost contemporary artists.
▪ ‘Where the Mind is Without Fear‘ is one of the most powerful works by
Bengali writer, Rabindranath Tagore. This simplified English language
translation is 11 lines, without a rhyme scheme.
▪ The poem was published in 1910 before India gained its independence
from Great Britain and was in the midst of protests and demonstrations
against British rule.
▪ Expresses his love for his country and prays to the Almighty for its well
being. In his prayer, the poet says that his countrymen should not live in
fear anymore and must do away with the evils of society. They must live
with respect, dignity, honesty and perfection. He prays to God for the
freedom of his beloved nation.
▪ Summary
▪ This poem is a contemplation of a state of being, a place in time, and a way
of living into which the author, Tagore, wishes his country, India, would
awaken. The first nine lines of the poem present a number of statements
that begin with the word, “Where…” These statements are each positive
attributes that Tagore is hoping India will achieve.
▪ The poem resolves by finishing all of these sentences, and Tagore makes a
plea to his Father, for his country to wake up into “that heaven of freedom.”
The poet envisions India as a country where the people live without any
kind of fear or oppression and hold their head high with pride, dignity and
self reliance.
▪ Rabindranath Tagore was saddened by the miserable lives of his
countrymen under the British rule and the state of his country in their
struggle for independence. In this poem, he shows his love for his country
and prays to God to help them attain freedom.
▪ He also says that knowledge should be attained without any restriction.
There should be no discrimination based on caste, creed, race or religion.
India must reach towards its goal of attaining freedom and being an ideal
nation. The countrymen must possess noble thoughts and do away with
all the superstitious beliefs that defy logic and reason.
▪ The poet prays to God, seeking his support and guidance for his
countrymen to have noble thoughts and actions. He asks God to awaken
them into this heaven like place of an independent nation.
▪ Although written as a prayer, this poem reflects Tagore’s longing for true
freedom. It emphasizes education as the key to liberation, promoting
reasoning, honesty, and rationality.
▪ Structure

▪ The poem has been written in one single sentence. There or no rhymes or
a regular rhythm as the poem is written in free verse.
▪ The language is simplified; metaphor and personification has been used
in various parts of the poem.
▪ Analysis
▪ “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free”

▪ The poem begins with these two short lines which are the basis of the
hopes that Tagore has for his country. These partial sentences, along with
the following six are finished by the last line of the poem in which Tagore
explains, these are places into which he wishes India would wake up. That
a change will come over the country and it will be able to move to a more
culturally and politically free period.
▪ Specifically in which, “the mind is without fear.” This being the title line of the
poem, its importance cannot be ignored. It is one of the most important tenants
of Tagore’s dream of India. One must be able to live without fear of the
repercussions of their thoughts, as well as living without fear of physical harm
coming to them as they live their lives.
▪ The second half of this first line adds to the importance of the first half, not only
must one be able to live without fear of physical repercussions of what they
believe, but they must also be able to be proud of their beliefs, be able to
express them freely in an open society.
▪ The second line of the poem turns to knowledge, in this perfect India, all
knowledge must be free. There cannot be barriers, keeping the middle and
lower classes from seeking out new information and bettering their lives.
▪ ‘Fear’ in this line refers to the fear inculcated in the minds of Indians
under the British rule. Here the poet is speaking about the miserable life
led by people dominated by the British.
▪ The poet envisions India as a country where the people’s minds are free
from fear and they live a dignified life. He also wants to convey that
freedom can be attained only when the mind is fearless and the head is
held high with respect and dignity.
In this line "Where knowledge is free" the poet says that gaining
independence would also give them the freedom to acquire knowledge
and be self reliant which was restricted during the British rule.
▪ “Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls”

▪ The third statement describing this ideal world refers to home and
societal life and the way in which women and men are separated, and
how narrow their differences are.
▪ This idea of walls can also be expanded to once again include different
classes of people, a problem faced by the Indian people for decades.
Because of the way in which one class is separated from another in all the
facts of life, from where and how they live, to where they work and who
they work for, the world has become fragmented into small groups that
do not interact or touch in any way.
▪ Here the poet speaks about the various evils that crept into the society at
that time. The British used the divide and rule policy by creating rivalries
among different sections of the society.
▪ ‘Narrow domestic walls’ refers to the walls of religion, race, caste and
creed created by the people. It may also refer to the various superstitious
beliefs that prevailed in the society during that time.
▪ “Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection”

▪ The next line of the poem references a more philosophical factor in

Tagore’s utopian India. The words that were spoken, no matter who by,
must come from the very depth of truth. This is a way of living that is very
controversial, and which many might say would have an adverse effect.
▪ But in Tagore’s world, absolute truth is a necessity. The sixth line of the
poem presents an idea that many would agree with without much
criticism, that if one works hard, or strives tirelessly, one will eventually
reach perfection.
▪ Perfection, or whatever goal one has in mind. Hard work would always
pay off, another addition to Tagore’s goal for India.
▪ "Where words come out from the depth of truth", implies that the poet
envisioned his countrymen to live their lives with honesty and utmost
truth
▪ “Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection", here
personification has been used for ‘tireless striving’. The poet says that
one’s goal should be to attain perfection i.e. to be an ideal country and all
those years of struggle would finally reach its goal of attaining freedom
and perfection.
▪ “Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit”

▪ The next two lines are more complex. In this scenario that Tagore has set
up in these lines, he is referring to the trouble that one will run into when
they start on a path reasonably and with a goal in mind, but then fall into
a habit and are unable to reach what they were striving for.
▪ Tagore uses a “clear stream” as a metaphor for reason, it flows easily and
cleanly. It is good for everyone. This stream of reason has “not” in Tagore’s
world, “lost its way,” by venturing into the habit.
▪ To balance this metaphor, he compares a dreary desert to “dead habit.”
One must be willing to change, to try new things in his utopian India.
▪ the poet uses metaphor for reason and habit. He refers to reason as a
‘clear stream’ that is pure and not contaminated. Here, he is speaking
about the thoughts of people which he says should be clear, noble,
honest and free from all sorts of corruption.
▪ ‘Dreary desert sand of dead habit’ also refers to the evils in the society like
the superstitious practices that lack logic and reason.
▪ “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 last three lines of the poem make a clear reference to Tagore’s desire
to blend Western and Indian poetry together. He states one final element
of his society, one which can be interpreted in multiple ways. The mind of
the people must be led forward by “thee.”
▪ In this line, he could be referring to God, as he does in the next line, or
perhaps he references his previous statements as a whole. He is, in a way,
adding on to the previous lines, stating that this stream of reason must be
“led forward…”
▪ The last two lines conclude all of the partial sentences that make up the
bulk of the poem. The mind must be led forward into “ever-widening
thought and action.”
▪ The mind must not be culled in any sense of the word, it must be allowed
to expand without limits and act on the notions it believes to be best. This
world that he has crafted he now refers to as “that heaven of freedom.”
▪ In the last three lines the poet prays to the Almighty for his guidance and
support to attain independence. The poet wishes his countrymen to be
led forward by their noble thoughts and actions. He refers to freedom as
a heavenly place and addresses God as Father, asking him to awaken his
people and help them reach that glorious place.
▪ Theme
▪ The poem was composed in the early 1900s when India was struggling for
independence from the British rule. It is the poet’s prayer to the Almighty,
seeking his guidance and support to help the countrymen attain freedom.
The poem is patriotic in nature.
▪ The poet expresses his love for his country and speaks about the vision
he has for India and its people. Through his poem he gives us an idea
about the kind of life people were living during the British rule.
▪ The stringent rules, policies, economical and political uncertainty were
some of the factors that caused fear in the minds of Indians. They could
not live a dignified and respectful life in their own country.
▪ Obtaining a proper education was restricted for various classes of the society,
causing illiteracy among people and making them believe in superstitions.
▪ The British used the ‘divide and rule policy’ against the Indians to make them
fight among themselves. There was discrimination based on caste, creed, race
and religion.
▪ It was during this struggle for independence, the poet says that he envisions a
country where there is no fear in the minds of people and education is attained
by all.
▪ The people are enlightened and do not create walls of discrimination. He wants
his countrymen to be honest and thoughtful. He prays to God, seeking his
guidance for attaining independence and awakening his countrymen into that
beautiful heaven of freedom.
Other poems of Tagore on nationalism

▪ The last sun of the century sets amidst the blood-red clouds of the West and the
whirlwind of hatred.
The naked passion of the self-love of Nations, in its drunken delirium of greed, is
dancing to the clash of steel and howling verses of vengeance.
The hungry self of the Nation shall burst in a violence of fury from its shameless
feeding.
For it has made the world its food.
And licking it, crunching it and swallowing it in big morsels,
It swells and swells
Till in the midst of its unholy feast descends the sudden shaft of heaven piercing its
heart of grossness.
-Extract from Rabindranath Tagore’s poem, “The Sunset of the Century” (1899)
▪ This poem was written on the last day of the nineteenth century.
Following this first stanza, it goes on to lament the plight of Tagore’s
motherland.
▪ In this poem, Tagore paints a vivid picture of the world as the nineteenth
century draws to a close. He laments the destructive force of human
greed, symbolized by the “self-love of Nations.” The crimson light on the
horizon signifies not a peaceful dawn but a burning pyre fueled by
aggression and pride.
▪ He pleads to his country to be content and embrace humility,
non-aggression, and meekness. He views these as the antitheses of
nationalism, which symbolizes, pride, power, and aggression
▪ “Freedom” by Rabindranath Tagore is a powerful and poignant poem that
speaks to the longing for freedom. The poem begins with the speaker
addressing their motherland, India. They express their desire for freedom,
emphasizing that it’s not just any freedom but specifically freedom from fear.
▪ The speaker envisions a future where India is unburdened by the weight of its
past, no longer bending under the ages of oppression. They yearn for a freedom
that breaks the shackles of slumber, allowing the country to awaken to truth’s
adventurous paths.
▪ Fate, once blindly accepted, will no longer dictate their course. The speaker
rejects the puppetry of existence, where movements are mere mimicry. Instead,
they seek a genuine, vibrant life.
▪ Through vivid metaphors and powerful imagery, Tagore conveys the oppressive
effects of fear and subservience.