Where the Mind Is Without Fear
Where the Mind is Without Fear
Where the Mind is ...
10
WHERE THE MIND IS WITHOUT FEAR
Notes
This poem was written when the British ruled our country. We were slaves to a foreign power. Rabindranath Tagore, the great Indian nationalist and visionary wanted India to awaken to a bright dawn of freedom – freedom from slavery and our own mental chains. Read the poem aloud once. Then read it silently. It would be a good idea to memorize the poem. 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 depths 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 actioninto that heaven of freedom, my father, let my country awake. - Rabindranath Tagore
ENGLISH
87
Where the Mind is ...
Where the Mind is Without Fear DISCUSSION Let us now read the following lines of the poem once again and answer the questions that follow. 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 depths of truth; Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Notes
INTEXT QUESTIONS 10.1
1. What is meant by “mind is without fear and head is held high”. Tick the correct answer. (i) to be fearless and self respecting (ii) to be proud of one’s high position . (iii) to stand straight and be carefree. 2. 3. What does the poet mean by “where knowledge is free”? The ‘domestic walls’ are usually associated with safety, comfort and love. Are these the feelings evoked by the phrase ‘narrow domestic walls’? If not, choose the correct answer from the ones given below: (i) small houses which make us feel
Where the Mind is ...
10
WHERE THE MIND IS WITHOUT FEAR
Notes
This poem was written when the British ruled our country. We were slaves to a foreign power. Rabindranath Tagore, the great Indian nationalist and visionary wanted India to awaken to a bright dawn of freedom – freedom from slavery and our own mental chains. Read the poem aloud once. Then read it silently. It would be a good idea to memorize the poem. 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 depths 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 actioninto that heaven of freedom, my father, let my country awake. - Rabindranath Tagore
ENGLISH
87
Where the Mind is ...
Where the Mind is Without Fear DISCUSSION Let us now read the following lines of the poem once again and answer the questions that follow. 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 depths of truth; Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Notes
INTEXT QUESTIONS 10.1
1. What is meant by “mind is without fear and head is held high”. Tick the correct answer. (i) to be fearless and self respecting (ii) to be proud of one’s high position . (iii) to stand straight and be carefree. 2. 3. What does the poet mean by “where knowledge is free”? The ‘domestic walls’ are usually associated with safety, comfort and love. Are these the feelings evoked by the phrase ‘narrow domestic walls’? If not, choose the correct answer from the ones given below: (i) small houses which make us feel