Where the Mind is Without Fear By Rabindranath Tagore

Author Note

Rabindranath Tagore is one of the greatest writers in the world. He first and last, until now, only Indian recipient of Nobel award in the field of literature for his significant contribution to the world literature and Indian literature particularly. The Gitanjali is one of the celebrated collection of series poems. Primarily, Tagore penned in his native language Bengali; then he himself translated into English. Thus translated version could reach across the world, hence bringing tremendous name and fame over the world along with a Prestigious Nobel award. Although, primarily he was a poet of native language and wrote almost everything in the Bengali language, translated into English. It is his direct translations, the utmost effort to bring originality in the translated version, that brought his worldwide readership, for example, Naukadubi into The Shipwreck, Ghare Bahare into Home and the World, Dak Ghar into The Post Office and so on. The present poem Where the Mind is Without Fear, one of the most simple poems written in a very understandable language and has been prescribed in schools and universities. The poem is thirty-fifth of Gitanjali published in 1910, a prayer to God Father, urging him to make his country a heaven of Freedom. this poem reflects the vision of an independent nation.

Poem Paraphrasing

The poet prays to God for an ideal country and seeks a few demands that may live his country peacefully, prosperous, and the development will linger everywhere. The lives of people with dignity and without fear bring healthy life. The people who have free access to education becomes like the bricks for the entire development of the nation. The nation with no potency of partition within the nation can secure a bright future for the coming generations. Undivided country drizzles a healthy mindset and thus the journey begins on the smooth path of development. The poet's visions for a country where words come out just after many filtrations of truthfulness and doing so people could create space in the hearts of each other. Besides, people should move forward incessantly for the combined effort with firm determinations to avoid ailments and impurities in their behaviours and manners. Thus the people should be imbued with the spirit of regular practices and tireless attempt to attain perfectness. Now the poet requests God to enlighten the minds of the people so that they would not leave the path of reason to carry out day-to-day affairs. Not to deviate this path, will the people empowered with utmost human values. So many desires of the poet that he seeks for his country and countrymen, people would be moving forward with actions guided by clear-crystal thought which often yields positive results. Thus the poet sums up the pray with final words that he wishes for his country to awake and to make a heaven of freedom.

Conclusion

Rabindranath Tagore's poem was published in pre-independent Bharat, which must have inspired many nationalists and have envisioned an ideal nation. And these sense of inspirations has functioned as a dose of ointment to ailments given by unjust, cruelty and conspiracies of the British Government. However, this poem is still relevance after so many years of independence.