Model Review of the poem "Where the Mind is Without Fear" for Read and Reflect activity

 Read and Reflect activity for Formative Assessment

MODEL REVIEW OF A POEM

Name of the poetry: Where the mind is without fear

Name of the author: Rabindranath Tagore

Genre of the piece of writing: Poetry

Summary of the Poetry:

This poem is a contemplation of a state of being, a place in time, and a way of living into which the author, Tagore, wishes his country, India, would awaken. The first nine lines of the poem present a number of statements in which begin with the word, “Where…” These statements are each positive attributes which Tagore is hoping India will achieve. The poem resolves by finishing all of these sentences, and Tagore making a plea to his Father, for his country to wake up into “that heaven of freedom.”

 My Reflections:

                          In this poem Tagore dreamt of a heaven of freedom for his country where people would be fearless, knowledgeable, rational, united, truthful, hard working and broad minded.

A lot has happened since then, but we haven’t achieved the heaven. Though our country has achieved freedom, it’s been mere political freedom, not the spiritual one that Tagore wanted. Still we see the divisions among people based on their caste, class, religion and such baseless things. The country is still dipped in superstitious beliefs, corruption, illiteracy and poverty. Hence, Tagore’s wish has not been fulfilled yet.  That is why we find the poem equally relevant today.

By  : Rajamanohari

                                                                                                            Class 10 ZPHS Satharam

Want to read the poem? Here it is!

WHERE THE MIND IS WITHOUT FEAR

-          Rabindranath Tagore

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