WHERE THE MIND IS WITHOUT FEAR

WHERE THE MIND IS WITHOUT FEAR

                                                                                                -Rabindranath Tagore

            This extract is taken from “Gitanjali” which was translated from Bengali into English by Tagore himself and revised by W.B.Yeats.  he was awarded Nobel Prize in 1913 for” Gitanjali”.

            It is a patriotic song.  It is a kind of prayer.  When the British rule had robbed India of its pride and dignity, the poet prays to god to make his country great in all respects.

            Tagore sketches a moving picture of the nation he would like India to be.  He wants his countrymen to be fearless and held their heads high with pride.  He expects that knowledge should not be restricted by narrow ideas in his country.

            The poet emphasizes that they should not be divided on the basis of caste and religion.  It is good for the nation to give up old blind customs.

            Tagore from the core of their heart dreams that his countrymen should be truthful from the core of their hearts.  They have to make endless efforts to achieve perfection.  It is essential for them to give up outdated customs.  They should not lose their way in the dull desert of sand, but they have to follow a clear stream of reason.

            The poet believes that God alone can lead his countrymen and he prays to God to guide the minds of his countrymen.  He should inspire and lead them forwards.  They would then automatically enter into the ever-widening areas of thought and action.  He pleads that his country should become a place of perfect freedom.  Such freedom is like heaven.

            Thus Tagore wants India to come out of her long slumber to meet the challenges ahead and realize her hopes and potentials.  The robust zeal and fervent expressions of the poet makes this poem remarkable.