Introduction
Rabindranath Tagore was a poet, playwright, philosopher, painter etc. The magnitude of his contribution in poetry can be understood by the Nobel Prize he won in 1913 for his collection of songs ‘Gitanjali’ published in 1912. He was the first Indian citizen and Asian to receive Nobel Prize. His poem ‘Where the mind is without fear’ is among most celebrated poems in whole collection Gitanjali. This poem was written when India was under rule of Britishers. Hence poet is aspiring a certain type of freedom of his country when they would become independent of British rule.
Central Idea
The main idea of the poem is to aspire for a free India. Freedom was a wide subject for Rabindranath Tagore and not limited to only geographical or physical freedom but also psychological and mental freedom too, hence an ideal freedom. He wanted India to be a place where people are free of fear and ignorance. Education is freely available to all. Truth prevails over lie. Rationalism overpowers superstitions and dead customs. Such country would be equivalent to heaven.
Themes
1. Freedom – Theme of freedom is most evident in the poem. Poet has expanded meaning of freedom. He wanted India not only free from clutches of Britishers but also from fear, ignorance, superstition and dead customs. Hence freedom is prime theme in the poem.
2. Rationality – Poet want his country to awake in a new morning. This new phase of the country should eliminate every illogical and blind following people have been doing till now. Lack of rationality push people into clutches of sub-ordinance and blind following. Hence poet wants people to logically think and then take action.
3. Old versus New India – Old India is represented by slavery, dead customs, superstition. It was due to lack of education, practical and rational thinking while poet want India to awake in new morning where New India will have free education, fearless environment, perfection in every field and logical thinking.
4. Religious elements – The whole poem is in the form of a prayer. This prayer is done by the poet to the ‘father’ i.e. God. He is asking for an ideal freedom for his country. He considers that we all are children of that supreme Father. As a father guide and lead his Children similarly we should also be led by him towards heaven of freedom.
Figure of Speech
- Alliteration – ‘Head is held high’ has repetition of consonant /h/ hence it is alliteration. Similarly ‘dreary desert sand of dead habit’ has repetition of consonant /d/.
- Consonance – ‘Held high’ has consonance as after repetition of consonant sound /h/ there is change of vowel sounds, similarly ‘dreary desert’ has repetition of consonant sound /d/ but change of vowel sound.
- Assonance – ‘striving stretches’ has assonance as /e/ vowel sound is getting repeated at the starting of both words.
- Metaphor – ‘dead habit’ is used for old customs and superstitions, ‘narrow domestic walls’ is used for geographical and social barriers and ‘clear stream of reason’ is for thinking ability. Hence all these are examples of metaphors.
- Anaphora – ‘Where’ is used in starting of maximum lines of the poem. Anaphora is used to give emphasis or create rhythm.
Structure and Rhyme scheme
It is a eleven lines poem without any stanza formation. It is written in free verse having no rhyme scheme or meter.
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