Where the mind is without fear

- Rabindranath Tagore
This poem is written by Rabindranath Tagore during pre-
independence days, when India was a colony of the British. The poet
wants the citizens of his country to be living in a free state. According
to the poem, a country should be
- where people live without any sort of fear of thought or habit.
- He wishes freedom from narrow-mindedness,
- Superstitions,
- Caste- system,
- Imperfections,
- Laziness
- And irrationality

Rabindranath Tagore is appealing to God to waken up his countrymen to

clear reason, truth and logical understanding. The countrymen should
work tirelessly to achieve perfection, a country where there’s no
discrimination against caste, creed or gender – everyone should have the
right to education and old and obsolete thoughts and actions should be
discarded to become progressive.

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high - 1
Where knowledge is free – 2
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls - 3
Where words come out from the depth of truth – 4
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection - 5
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit - 6
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action - 7
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake. – 8
Line 1

The poet prays to the Almighty that his countrymen should be free from any fear
of oppression or forced compulsion. He wishes that everyone in his country has
his head held high in dignity. In other words, according to him, in a truly free
country every person should have a fearless heart and should have a sense of self
dignity.

Poetic Device – Alliteration

1) Where the mind is without fear

2) Head held high

Line 2
The poet dreams of a nation where knowledge would be free. Education should
not be restricted to the upper class only but everybody should be allowed to
acquire knowledge. Where any one can gather any source of Knowledge
without caste – system.

Line 3
According to the poet petty consideration of nationality, caste and creed should
not divide people prejudice and superstitions which narrow the mind and divide
the people should be a thing of the past. The people must rise above The narrow
walls of caste, religion and community they should remain United.

Poetic Devices – a) Metaphor – ‘narrow domestic walls’ refer to various

barriers quantitatively and qualitatively.
b) Alliteration – been broken
c) Symbolism - ‘narrow domestic walls’ refer to narrow mindedness
Line 4
People must be honest in thoughts words and deeds. They should stand by the
truth even when they face the most difficult of situations. They should feel and
mean what they speak, their words should come from within and should not be
superficial.
Poetic Devices – Metaphor – ‘ Depth of truth’ impression of a fountain
Symbolism - – ‘ Depth of truth’ – refers to truthfulness

Line 5

Through these lines the speaker wishes that his countrymen strive towards
perfection without getting tired A country where people work without laziness
is sure to achieve perfection in all fields and aspects. Everyone should be free to
have a will and work hard for anything they Desire either for their own self or
for the nation.

Poetic Devices – alliteration - striving stretches

Personification - Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards
perfection.
Non- living objects has been given human trait of having arms and
qualities of getting tired and stretching.

Line 6
The poet compares ‘reason’ or logical thinking to a “clear stream’ and
compares ‘dead habits’ or superstitious beliefs to a ‘dreary desert’. He
wants the stream of reason not to lose its way into the desert of prejudices.
In short, people’s thought should be monitored by rational thinking, not by
superstition; logic should rule over old baseless beliefs.

‘ Clear Stream of Reason’ - symbolises logical thinking. Reason must be

rationale and not believing in superstitions and unreasonable thoughts.
‘ Dead Habits’ A habit that is dead is compared to the sand of the desert
because desert is dry and fruitless, it is lifeless and Harsh.
Dead Habits refer to old and obsolete customs and practices which are a threat
to the humanity
These practices don't allow human beings to accept new thoughts on ideas
which can make the world a better place to live.

Poetic Devices – a) Alliteration – dreary desert sand of dead habit

b) Metaphor ––‘ Clear Stream of Reason’ refers to a mind which is always led
by logic and reason rather than superstition.
‘ Dreary desert’ – superstitions and obsolete practices

c) Symbolism –‘ Clear Stream of Reason’ symbolises being logical and

rationale
‘ Dreary desert sand’ – obsolete customs and practices

Line 7
the poet wishes his countrymen to be progressive and broad-minded. He
wants that their minds are “led forward” to “ever-widening thought and
action” by the Almighty.
He wants the Almighty to broaden their outlook.

Poetic Devices – Synecdoche – “Where the mind is led forward by thee

Into ever-widening thought and action”
Mind – (part) stands for citizens (whole).

Line 8
the poet addresses the God as ‘Father’. He asks him to awaken his country
into such a ‘heaven of freedom’ where the above conditions meet.
To make it clear, the poet prays to the Almighty (my Father) to raise or lift
(awake) his country to such heights where freedom would be realised at its
best (a heaven of freedom). In turn, he is actually praying that God awakens
his countrymen so that they come out from the darkness of ignorance,
prejudices, disunity and all other evils.

Poetic Devices –
Metaphor – ‘freedom’ – of all country compared to Heaven
Symbolism – refers the state in which the poet wishes the
country to be
Personification – country awake
Apostrophe – a direct address has been made to the Almighty
(Father) who was not present there.

Rhyme Scheme – Free Verse