UNIT-I POETRY
1.
Where the mind is without
Fear
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
Rabindranath
Tagore
1.1 INTRODUCTION
ABOUT AUTHOR
Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)
Ø Born
: 7 May 1861,Calcutta,
Bengal Presidency, British India
Ø Died: 7 August 1941
(aged 80) Calcutta
Ø Occupation: Writer, painter
Ø Language : Bengali,
English
Ø Nationality: Indian
Ø Ethnicity: Bengali
Ø Literary
movement: Contextual Modernism
Ø Notable
work(s): Gitanjali,
Ø Other works:
Gora, Ghare-Baire, Jana Gana
Mana, Rabindra Sangeet, Amar Shonar Bangla
Ø Notable
award(s): Nobel Prize in Literature
1913
Ø Spouse(s): Mrinalini Devi (m.
1883–1902)
Ø Children: five children, two of whom died in
childhood
Rabindranath Tagore - Biographical
Rabindranath Tagore
(1861-1941) was the youngest son of Debendranath Tagore, a leader of the Brahmo
Samaj, which was a new religious sect in nineteenth-century Bengal and which
attempted a revival of the ultimate monistic basis of Hinduism as laid down in
the Upanishads. He was educated at home; and although at seventeen he was sent
to England for formal schooling, he did not finish his studies there. In his
mature years, in addition to his many-sided literary activities, he managed the
family estates, a project which brought him into close touch with common
humanity and increased his interest in social reforms. He also started an
experimental school at Shantiniketan where he tried his Upanishadic ideals of
education. From time to time he participated in the Indian nationalist
movement, though in his own non-sentimental and visionary way; and Gandhi, the
political father of modern India, was his devoted friend. Tagore was knighted
by the ruling British Government in 1915, but within a few years he resigned
the honour as a protest against British policies in India.
Tagore had early
success as a writer in his native Bengal. With his translations of some of his
poems he became rapidly known in the West. In fact his fame attained a luminous
height, taking him across continents on lecture tours and tours of friendship.
For the world he became the voice of India's spiritual heritage; and for India,
especially for Bengal, he became a great living institution.
Although Tagore
wrote successfully in all literary genres, he was first of all a poet. Among
his fifty and odd volumes of poetry are Manasi (1890) [The Ideal One], Sonar Tari
(1894) [The Golden Boat], Gitanjali (1910) [Song Offerings], Gitimalya (1914)
[Wreath of Songs], and Balaka (1916) [The Flight of Cranes]. The English
renderings of his poetry, which include The Gardener (1913), Fruit-Gathering
(1916), and The Fugitive (1921), do not generally correspond to particular
volumes in the original Bengali; and in spite of its title, Gitanjali: Song
Offerings (1912), the most acclaimed of them, contains poems from other works
besides its namesake. Tagore's major plays are Raja (1910) [The King of the
Dark Chamber], Dakghar (1912) [The Post Office], Achalayatan (1912) [The
Immovable], Muktadhara (1922) [The Waterfall], and Raktakaravi (1926) [Red
Oleanders]. He is the author of several volumes of short stories and a number
of novels, among them Gora (1910), Ghare-Baire (1916) [The Home and the World],
and Yogayog (1929) [Crosscurrents]. Besides these, he wrote musical dramas,
dance dramas, essays of all types, travel diaries, and two autobiographies, one
in his middle years and the other shortly before his death in 1941. Tagore also
left numerous drawings and paintings, and songs for which he wrote the music
himself.
WHERE THE MIND IS WITHOUT FEAR
This poem in this
selection has been taken from his English ‘Gitanjali’. Tagore had deep
religious roots and his work reflects profound humanism. He was both a patriot
and a global citizen. In the poem, ‘Where the Mind Is without Fear’, Tagore
sketches a moving picture of the nation he would like India to be.
A nation where
everyone within the fold of the brotherhood is free to hold up one’s head high
and one’s voice can be heard without having any apprehension or fear of
oppression or forced compulsion.
He talks about a
nation where the knowledge is not restricted by narrow ideas and loyalties! The
British rule had robbed India of its pride and dignity by reducing it to a
ruined nation. The India of Tagore’s dream is a country where her people hold
their heads high with their pride in knowledge and strength born of that
knowledge where all countrymen must come out of the age-old philosophy of
constricted loyalties of caste, creed and religion. Prejudice and superstitious
which narrow the mind and divide people should be a thing of the past.
It should be a
nation where the words of truth come out from the depths of the heart and are
spoken out courageously in the open for the world to hear. People should work
for perfection in the clear light of reason leaving aside all superstitious
rituals, beliefs and narrow-mindedness.
It should be a nation where everyone is free
to toil and work hard for anything they desire either for their own or for the
good of the nation. Everyone is encouraged to strive tirelessly till they
attain full satisfaction in reaching their goals and perfection.
It should be a
nation where blind superstitious habits of thought and action have not put out
the light of reason. Where people’s mind should not dwell in the mistakes of
the past nor be possessed by it. On the other hand they should be led by the
power of reasoning to be focused on the future by applying logical thought and
action. Tagore’s only prayer to the Supreme Ultimate is leading the nation to
such an ideal state of heaven. It is only by the universality of outlook and an
abiding passion for the realization of great human ideals that India will
achieve her true freedom. This way alone she will realize her destiny.
EXPLANATION WITH REFERENCE TO THE CONTEXT
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.
Word meanings
1. Fragments-
pieces
2. Head is held
high- self respect
3. Domestic- pertaining
to family.
4. Striving – try
hard, motivated.
5. Tireless -
without getting tired
The poet draws a
picture of free India. He dreamt of a country with no boundaries. Tagore prays
for the welfare of the country. The poet prays to God that there should be an
atmosphere of fearlessness.
Knowledge should be
free for all. The country should not be divided into creed and caste. People
should speak the truth and be fearless and God blessed to have a perfect life.
They should not get tired of working.
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 the heaven of
freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
Word Meanings
Stream: river
Dreary: dull
Reason: intellect
Dead habit: old
customs
Desert – dry area
of land
Awake- to get up
from sleep
Explanation:
The poet prays to
God that Indians should be logical & progressive in thoughts & actions.
They should have the power to reason out the bad and useless customs by guiding
people. God should make India and the world a paradise.
Central Idea
This poem is a
reflection of the poet’s good and ideal nature. He has utmost faith in God. He
prays to God with all his heart that He should guide the countrymen to work
hard, speak the truth and take the country forward with a logical approach.
Rabindranath Tagore aspires to see the country and his people to be in peace
and prosper. He loves his country a lot and wishes for its welfare and growth
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