Where the Mind is Without Fear

Where the Mind is without Fear
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore reshaped Bengali literature and music and was the first Asian to be awarded with the Nobel Prize for Gitanjali in 1913. He has written multiple novels, poems, short stories, travelogues, dramas and thousands of songs. His writings are influenced by both Indian and Western traditions.
“Where the Mind is without Fear” is one of his famous poems, published in his collection of poetry entitled Gitanjali. It was originally composed in Bengali, under the title “Prarthana”, meaning prayer. Tagore wrote this poem when India was under the clutches of British rule. He wrote this poem to encourage the countrymen and to instill courage in their hearts and minds. 
The poet prays to God that his countrymen should not cower in fear. They should be free from oppression and compulsion. He wants his countrymen to be fearless and have a sense of pride and self-dignity. They should not be frightened by any kind of oppression and should be determined in their pursuit of goal. 
The poet dreams of a nation where knowledge is accessible to all. Only the light of education has the power to obliterate the darkness of ignorance. Hence, he wants everyone to be educated irrespective of class barriers. 
The poet thinks that there should not be any division among people based on caste, creed, language, sex, religion and colour. Prejudices and superstitions are the narrow domestic walls that divide people into groups, thereby breaking their unity and making them weak and fragile.
Tagore wishes that the people of his nation should be forthright and honest. They should not be superficial and their words should come from the depth of their hearts. The poet wants everyone to work hard, without exhaustion, to reach their desired goal. They should work hard till they attain perfection.  
The poet wants his people to be rational and logical in their thinking. They should not be dictated by the blind superstitions and traditional conventions. The countrymen should be broadminded and have a progressive approach and encourage new thoughts and ideas. Their minds should be led forward by the contemporary new ideas. In the final line, the poet addresses the Almighty as ‘Father’ and prays to him to let his country wake up to such a heavenly abode of freedom where there is brightness and confidence all around. 

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