Where the Mind Is Without Fear

Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore influenced Bengali music and Indian art. His collection of
rhymes and songs, Gitanjali or The Song Offerings, earned him the Nobel Prize in
Literature in 1913, making him the first non-European to do so. Tagore popularized
the use of informal language in Bengali literature and developed new poetic forms.
Bengali literature was liberated from traditional patterns based on classical Sanskrit.
The greatest of Indian culture was also brought to the West largely by Tagore, who is
also often recognized as the most remarkable modern artist on the Indian
subcontinent.

His books, short tales, songs, dance plays, and other works address political and
personal problems. His most well-known compositions are Ghare-Baire , Gitanjali and Gora .
He is well regarded for his poetic works, realism, and unnatural reflection in his writings. His
songs were chosen as the national anthems of two countries: Bangladesh's Amar Shonar
Bangla and India's Jana Gana Mana. Tagore also wrote and tuned the National Anthem of Sri
Lanka's original song.

The poem "Where The Mind is Without Fear" is translated into English. The
Bengali poem was published in 1910 as a part of Tagore's Gitanjali: a collection of
poems. Tagore created this English translation when translating some of his work
into English at William Rothenstein's request in 1911.

The poet begins with the idealized vision of his home country India. He said
no one in his country should ever live in constant fear. Instead, they should be bold
and confident in themselves. Knowledge should be available to all citizens. That is,
educational institutes should allow students of all races and classes. All the regions of
India and their people should unite rather than fight for power and authority on the
basis of any religion, caste or other discriminations. They must fight together against
common enemies to prevent a common fate.

The poet encourages everyone always to speak the truth no matter the
situation. Nobody should use deception to their advantage when striving to better
themselves and keep trying until they attain a state of self-perfection. He then
imagines why it is a water stream not soiled that can easily and quickly pass through
without too many obstacles. On the other hand, he imagines the habit of being a
desert. He believes that the stream of reason is lost in the sand of habit. It means
that he is saying that the people of his country do not think about their current
superstitions, and he wants them to question these beliefs by logic.

At the end, the poet talks directly to God. He wants his fellow citizens to be
guided by him so that they can broaden their view of their thoughts and actions. If
they did, India would be transformed into a heaven where all its citizens would be
free of slavery, power and discrimination

Love Cycle

Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe was a renowned Nigerian novelist, poet, and essayist. He is majorly
known for his debut novel, Things Fall Apart (1958), which is the face of modern African
literature. A recipient of several national and international awards, Chinua Achebe
published short stories, poetry collections, and essays during his lifetime. He greatly admired
Christopher Okigbo, an African poet who influenced Achebe’s craft. Besides his debut novel
—his notable works include Arrow of God (1964), A Man of the People (1966), and There
Was A Country (2012). As he reveals in this discussion, Achebe believes in penning down
the unfiltered truth, good or bad.

Love Cycle’ by Chinua Achebe portrays the sun’s effect on Earth and vice versa as a
hardly romantic relationship. The poem describes the couple: the sun an angry male and the
earth a tolerant female. Achebe uses personification and symbolism throughout the poem to
evoke vivid imagery.

‘Love Cycle’ opens with the persona describing the attitude of the sun at dawn. One
can imagine the sun’s withdrawal from embrace to mean its light isn’t fixated on anything.
This translates to how widespread and scattered the sun’s rays are at this time. Unlike at
noon, the rays are not locked on any surface; they are not harsh as well.

The poet portrays the interaction between the two entities as a relationship between a
couple. As shown in the first three lines of the stanza, however, the nature of their
relationship is dispassionate.

In this case, “love’s combustion” refers to the heat of sun, which is absent at this time.
Then, the poet highlights the presence of dew—and therefore, humidity—showing the
freshness of Earth in the morning. The metaphor reveals Earth’s reaction to the sun’s
harshness. Her attitude is one of patience and tolerance. “Burning darts of anger” refers to the
scorching rays fixated on Earth, as the speaker predicted. The earth absorbs the harsh light
the same way the metaphorical woman tolerates her partner’s temper while swallowing her
own.It highlights themes of tolerance and patience.

The concluding lines of ‘Love Cycle’ is speculative. It reasons why Earth tolerates the
sun’s harshness, using the established metaphor. From the metaphorical perspective, the
woman stays in a clearly unhealthy relationship because at night, her partner’s gentleness
returns. It also indicates that the man becomes mellow because he wants her to make love to
him. At this point, the theme of power plays comes in. The woman takes comfort in these
moments where she has full reign over her partner.

The themes of unhealthy relationships, anger, endurance, and power plays all stem
from the poet’s exploration of the central theme.

Nine Gold Medals

David Roth
Nine Gold Medals is a poem written by David Roth, an American rock vocalist. Nine
gold medals summary encourages human compassion and cooperation. It draws inspiration from
the nine differently-abled athletes in a Special Olympic event. Further, it is about a race which
takes place among these runners. One runner fell to the ground and upon seeing this, all the others
stopped running. They went back and helped the one who fell stand up on his feet. After that, all
of them walked hand-in-hand to finish the race. Thus, seeing this gesture, all of the athletes were
awarded a gold medal. It recognized all of them for their exceptional show of empathy and
compassion.
The poem starts with an information that there are many athletes to in the Special
Olympics. They have come from all over the world to compete and win the medals of gold,
silver and bronze. Further, it tells the rigorous training of the athletes who go through for many
months in order to partake in these events for winning a medal.

The large audience assembled in the ground to cheer up the participants. They cheer on
through the day and enjoy merrily. Finally, the last event arrives, which is race. It is one of the
most awaited events. The announcers have announced the names of the participants who are
going to participate in this hundred-meter race. In total, nine people are ready for the game and
all of them wish to win as they line up behind the starting point. All of them are now waiting for
the sound of the gun.
 The pistol explodes and signals for the race to begin. Thus, all the runners charge ahead
along their particular tracks. However, an unexpected incident occurs. The shortest athlete
stumbles and staggers and eventually, falls on his knees to the ground.

The audience become emotional for the differently-abled athlete experiences when he
falls. How frustrating it is to go through this after training rigorously for such a long time. As he
falls, he sees his dreams and aspirations come crashing down. Thus, he lets out a cry because of
the pain and frustration.

However, the scene does not end there. A strange thing happens after he falls. The other
athletes who are ahead of him stop and return one by one. They do so to help him out and make
him stand up on his feet. At this point, they see past all their hard work and training throughout
these years. After picking him up, they join hands and start walking towards the finishing line
together. Thus, they have reduced the hundred-meter race to a walk. However, because the
spectators have got to see the grand demonstration of human compassion, teamwork and
sportsman spirit.

Thus, the athletes ended the race together, hand in hand, they all win nine gold medals.
Everyone gets one as they deserve it. With their smiling faces, the sportsmen stand together
under the banner of ‘Special Olympics’.

Alice Fell, or Poverty

William Wordsworth,

In ‘Alice Fell’, Wordsworth tells the story of a little orphan, ‘fatherless and
motherless’, whom the speaker of the poem meets on the road to Durham. He shows her an
act of compassion which lifts her spirits and helps her to forget, at least for a while, her grief
at being poor and without a family.

Wordsworth dramatizes the idea that poverty is one of the main reasons for misery in
the British Romanticism era. The narrator is an unnamed speaker who meets the girl, Alice
Fell on the road. They are never identified as a male or female, although when reading the
poem it felt as though it was a male. The narrator does not speak to any audience in
particular, and only addresses the only three other characters mentioned in the poem—the
Post-boy, Alice Fell, and the Host of the Tavern.
 The poem takes place in the night, when the narrator is riding in his chaise to an
unnamed destination, though later in the poem, whether it was the original destination or not,
it is Durham. The first stanza describes the climatic conditions as threatening clouds which
drowns the moon, the wild wind is smitten and blew from many ways. The poet hears the
sound continuously and feels that his chaise is followed by some mystic sound. They are in a
hurry to cross the place due to the bad weather. But his curiosity makes him to call the post
boy to stop the chaise to locate sound.

He has found a girl sitting behind the chaise with moaning and depression. When he
approaches her, she utters the “ my cloak” and becomes speechless. She sobs for the cloak
which is entangled in the wheel. It is twisted in the centre of the wheel and whey both try to
take it off, it is tattered. The poor girl is in miserable mood and continues to weep for it.

When he comes across Alice in her state of distress, Wordsworth seems to be trying to
convey that the reason her particular character is in such a state of misery is due to her
poverty the fact that she is an orphan. The reader would understand that given the time
during which Wordsworth had written the poem, this was the most common cause of a
person’s misery.

The Things That Haven't Been Done Before

by
Edgar Guest

The Things That Haven't Been Done Before" by Edgar Albert Guest is a thought-
provoking and introspective poem that explores the importance of stepping out of our
comfort zones and embracing new challenges. Through the use of historical references and
vivid imagery, Guest encourages readers to question their willingness to follow the well-
trodden path or to embark on uncharted territories.

The first stanza sets the tone for the poem by referencing Christopher Columbus and
his brave journey towards an unknown shore. Columbus's dream and unwavering faith in
discovering new lands despite the jeering throng and doubting crew serve as a metaphor for
the courage it takes to pursue the unexplored. By highlighting Columbus's determination,
Guest implies that embracing the unknown requires a bold heart and strong convictions.

In the second stanza, Guest contrasts those who stick to the familiar, marked path with
those who venture off. The majority, depicted as following guideposts with charts for every
day, limit themselves to only what has been previously accomplished. They rely on the safety
of conformity and are content with what is already known. In contrast, Guest introduces a
brave minority that abstains from the beaten path, seeking to witness what no one has seen
before. These individuals hunger for unique experiences and are willing to endure hardship
and isolation.

The third stanza reinforces the significance of pioneering individuals who dare to
stray from the norm. Though they may face adversity and suffer physical and emotional
wounds, they blaze a trail for others to follow. Their actions challenge the collective human
potential, urging others to break free from the confines of conformity. Guest suggests that
these trailblazers are the catalysts for progress and innovation, as the masses often only
replicate what has already been accomplished.

The final stanza poses a direct question to the reader, asking whether they are content
to follow or if they possess the audacity to lead. Those who fear criticism from the doubting
crowd are deemed timid souls, succumbing to the limitations imposed by societal pressure.
On the other hand, Guest challenges readers to introspectively assess their willingness to
strike out on their own and strive for new goals regardless of success or failure. The poem's
conclusion invites readers to evaluate their attitudes towards change, growth, and the pursuit
of the undiscovered.

The Things That Haven't Been Done Before serves as a rallying cry for individuals to
embrace their inner adventurers and push the boundaries of what is known. Through eloquent
language and insightful comparisons, Edgar Albert Guest compels readers to question their
complacency and encourages them to embark on uncharted paths, fostering personal growth
and advancing society as a whole.
 Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Robert Frost

The stopping by the Woods on a Snowy is written by Robert Frost. It is the story of the
poet who passes by some woods. The poet travels in the dark through the snow and pauses with
his horse near the woods by a neighbor’s house to observe the snow falling around him.

The poet continues to poise near the woods, attracted by the deep, dark silence of his
surroundings. He wants to enjoy the beauty of nature in that deep dark night but his duties
towards his life forced him to move ahead. He feels compelled to move ahead into the snowy
woods, but he ultimately decides to continue his journey.

The poet knows the owner of the woods and also the place where he lives. He is assured
that the owner lives in a village and he will not see him stopping here. Hence he can enjoy the
natural beauty of his snow-covered woods.

He further says that he usually stops near the farmhouse. This will be a little strange
thing for his dear horse to stop in this dark evening. They have stopped between the frozen lake
and woods. The poet calls his horse “my little horse” because it is extremely dear to him or
possibly it can be baby horse i.e pony. This also implies that the speaker may be a humble and
ordinary citizen and cannot afford to buy an upscale horse. He also embodies the horse by
indicating that he can think and refer to him as a person.

. The words like darkest evening suggest several things. It can be meant that the poet was
very depressed due to his long journey and chilling weather. It can also mean it was the longest
night of the year with maximum hours of darkness. In that case, it can be a winter peak in the
northern hemisphere.

The poet says that the horse is shaking its head and ringing the bell attached to its
harness. This suggests as the horse is asking his master whether there is an issue because it is
unusual for him to pause by the woods within the darkness. And the most important thing in the
poem came that is sound imaginaries. There are only three sounds can be heard. They are the
sounds of the harness bell, light wind, and the snowflakes.

The adjectives – lovely, dark, and deep mean to say that he enjoys the scene and wants
to cherish the beauty of nature for a longer time. But he has other liabilities in life. He has
travelled a long distance before he sleeps. So he cannot stop there for a long time. He moves
ahead. Therefore the poet repeats “ there are miles to go before I sleep”. It metaphorically refers
to sleep as death.
 The poem also conveys that in real life, everyone wants to do many things and enjoy
every moments. But the responsibilities troubles to do so. Life has its own plan for the people.
One should focus on their goals of life, accomplish the duties before die. One should not spend
time on distractions of life.