Where the Mind is Without Fear (Gitanjali: 35)

Rabindranath Tagore
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
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
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.

Word Meanings

Fragments: small pieces

Striving: effort

Reason: logic and rationality

Dreary: dull, gloomy, boring

Thee: you

Summary

The poem is a prayer by Tagore for his country that it may rise above narrow restrictions of caste,
religion and ignorance. He prays to God for an atmosphere of freedom and equality, based on truth
and fearless reasoning. It is an expression of the poet’s reflective spirit and contains his hopes for his
country, the India of pre-independent times. But the prayer is relevant even today because of its
universal and immortal quality.

Comprehension Questions from Textbook “Indian Weaves”

1. What is meant by “the head is held high”?

Ans: “Head is held high” means fearlessness and being confident about oneself, about his goals and
dreams.

2. Why does the poet speak about the freedom of knowledge?

Ans: The poet says that in an ideal country knowledge is freely obtained equally by all.

3. What does the poet mean by “domestic walls”? Give two examples of such domestic walls.

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Ans: Domestic walls refer to the boundaries of discrimination which separate mankind within a
country. Two examples are boundaries of caste and boundaries of language.

4. Why are domestic walls considered narrow?

Ans: The imaginary boundaries or walls separate the Indians from each other and make their lives
limited and stop them from expanding freely. So, these walls are called narrow.

5. How, according to the poet, can we achieve perfection?

Ans: The poet feels that we can achieve perfection by tireless striving or effort.

6. Explain the phrases: (a) Clear stream of reason and (b) dreary desert sand of dead habit

Ans:

(a) Clear stream of reason means where one’s reason, logic and decisions are clear and not clouded
by age old superstitions and prejudices.

(b) Dead habits are those habits of superstitions and prejudices which are prohibitive and restrictive
in achieving the freedom of the mind. These are compared to dreary desert because these habits
make the mind unfertile and dry like deserts which are stagnant and gloomy.

7. What should be the characteristic feature of a spoken word?

Ans: The spoken word should rise from depth of truth.

8. Where is the mind led forward to, and by whom?

Ans: The poet prays that the mind may be led forward into expanding thought and action by God.

9. Mention two attributes that the “heaven of freedom” should possess, according to Tagore.

Ans: Tagore thought that the “heaven of freedom” should possess fearlessness and reason.

Grammar and Vocabulary

1. Identify and make a list of all the abstract nouns in the poem.

Ans: Fear, knowledge, depth, truth, perfection, reason, habit, thought, action, freedom

2. Write the adjective forms of Fear, knowledge, depth, truth, perfection, reason, habit, thought,
action, freedom

Ans: Fearful, knowledgeable, deep, true, perfect, reasonable, habitual, thoughtful, active, free.

3. Write a synonym of dreary.

Ans: Dull

4. Write a synonym of fragments.

Ans: Pieces

5. What is the meaning of stream in context of the poem?

Ans: A small river or rivulet.

6. Give opposites by adding prefix:

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Broken: unbroken, truth: untruth, perfection: imperfection, action: inaction

7. Which word in the poem means “petty”, “rigid” or “intolerant”?

Ans: Narrow

8.Identify any five prepositions in the text.

Ans: without, into, by, from, of, towards