How should our words be, in the opinion of Tagore?
How can the "tireless striving" achieve perfection?
What is reason compared with?
Answers
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……..”
i) To whom is the poet speaking to ? What is he saying?
Answer : The poet is speaking to God. He is requesting to God to free his country from the shackles of superstitions and prejudices laid down by the age old customs and practices. He is wishing for a nation where everyone within the fold of brotherhood is free to hold up one’s head high and one’s voice can be heard without having any apprehension or fear of oppression. He talks about a nation where knowledge is not restricted by narrow ideas and is free of cost.
ii) Which narrow walls is the poet talking about?
Answer : According to the poet, petty considerations of nationality, caste and creed should not divide the people. Prejudice and superstitions which narrow the mind and divide the people should be a thing of the past. There should be no factionalism in the country. The people must rise above the narrow walls of caste, religion and community. They should remain united.
iii) What does the speaker mean by ‘where tireless striving stretches its arm towards perfection’?
Answer : Through lines lines, the speaker wishes that his countrymen strive towards perfection without getting tired. A country whose people work without laziness is sure to achieve perfection in all fields and aspects. Everyone should be free to toil and work hard for anything they desire either for their own or for the good of the nation.
iv) What kind of freedom does the poet desire for his country?
Answer : Poet desires for freedom of thoughts and habits for his countrymen. He wishes for a freedom from narrow limits set up by the society, from fear and from a world which is broken into fragments. In other words, the poet dreams of a country free from the shackles of foreign rule and from all other obstacles like fear, superstitions, casteism, regionalism, narrow mindedness, imperfection and irrationality.
v) After reading the poem, what do you think about the state of the country at this moment in poet’s eyes?
Answer : Probably, according to the poet, the country is in a state of ignorance and that’s why he desires freedom for his country. He wants his country to move to a state where knowledge is free and individuals are free from the bondage of narrow ideas set up by the society. He considers people to be slave of bad habits that is affecting their life as well as the nation’s life. According to him, the British rule had robbed India of its pride and dignity b