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
 

                                P.C.: Lucky Trips;Prexels.com

Word-Meanings
 
Head is held high  - self-esteem
Fragments     - pieces
Domestic walls       - referring to divisions based on caste, creed,    colour, religion, etc. 
Striving     - working hard to achieve a common goal
Stream     - river
Reason     -intellect
Dreary     -dull
Dead Habits           - old rituals and customs
 
 
Question and Answers
 
Question:1  Read the extract given below 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
 
(a)Who is the poet? Briefly explain his vision?
The poet of the poem is Rabindranath Tagore. He envisions to have an atmosphere of fearlessness, where people have self respect and they do not fight over petty issues.
 
(b) What happens when the mind is without fear? Is ‘fearless’ society a just society? Why?
When the mind is without fear it can use its faculties and strength to its optimum use to achieve a target. Fearless society is a just(fair) society provided it is honest and conscientious(dutiful). This is so because cosmopolitan society can work for a common goal. 
 
(c) Explain:  “the head is held high”?
By “the head is held high” the poet meant that he wishes that his countrymen have self respect and lead their lives without the slavish attitude which they had due to the rule of British Raj in India.
 
(d)What does the poet intend to mean when he says “Where knowledge is free”?
By “Where knowledge is free” poet wishes for a society where education is freely available to everyone regardless of their gender, caste, colour or sex.
 
(e) What does the poet mean by “narrow domestic walls”? Explain the consequences of constructing such walls.
Narrow domestic walls are the divisions made on the basis of caste, creed, colour, sex, etc. The result of construction of these walls is that people have started discriminating against people which is very bad for society.
 
(f) What is broken into fragments and how can you say that?
The world, that is, humanity is broken up into “fragments by narrow domestic walls”. We can say so because we can witness gender based discrimination, terrorist activities, border tensions and other inhumane activities happening all around us.
 
(g)Do we still live in a world broken into fragments? Justify your answer.
Yes, we still live in a world that is broken into fragments. I came to this conclusion because we can witness gender based discrimination, terrorist activities, border tensions and other inhumane activities happening all around us.