Where the Mind Is Without Fear

WHERE THE MIND IS WITHOUT FEAR.

(i) The words ‘mind is without fear’ mean that one does not have

any fear of oppression or compulsion. The poet is talking about

the minds of the people of his country. He says so because his

country was under the subjugation of the British, who perpetrated

all sorts of oppression on his countrymen.

(ii) The words ‘the head is held high’ mean to have self respect. The

head is bowed down because of exploitation and oppression of

the Indians by the British. It needs to be held high with pride

and dignity which characterised the Indians before India was

reduced to the status of a subjugated nation.

(iii) By the words ‘Where knowledge is free’, the poet wants to say

that in his country everyone should have the freedom to acquire

knowledge without any restriction. The restrictions imposed on

the spread of knowledge include the prejudices based on wealth,

caste and religion. Further, the British imposed restrictions on

the basis of the ruler (the British) and the ruled (the Indians).

They curbed the freedom of speech and expression by putting

restrictions on the Press.

(iv) Due to the restrictions imposed on the spread of knowledge,

people remained glued to their outdated customs and traditions

and could not think rationally.

(v) A sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines divided into an octave (the

first eight lines) and a sestet (the last six lines). The octave

presents an idea, raises an argument, makes a proposition or

poses a problem, whereas the sestet gives a solution to the

problem posed by the octave.

The poem ‘Where the Mind is Without Fear’ comprises an octave, in

which the poet talks about the wonderful qualities his countrymen

must achieve to make their country free and heaven-like. Since

this poem is only a part of the complete song in his Nobel Prize

winning work, Gitanjali, we can say that this poem is a part of

the complete sonnet.

II.

(i) According to the poet, the narrow domestic...