Where the mind is without fear Essay Example

Where the mind is without fear Essay Where the mind is without fear summary? Answer: It has been more than sixty years since we became independent but yet we are enslaved by fear. A fear that refuses to let go, a fear that has become habitual to us and a fear that dominates our minds. We have the fear of getting lost. So we dont take the risk of venturing out too far. We are afraid of taking the road less traveled. That is why most of the parents want their children to become doctors, engineers or lawyers but not painters, scientists or writers. We sometimes refuse to forsake our comfort zones even though we have an opportunity to make it big. We will write a custom essay sample on Where the mind is without fear specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Where the mind is without fear specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Where the mind is without fear specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We have the fear of being ridiculed or laughed at. Remember, every new idea is at first ridiculed, then criticized and finally accepted. We never want to try something new. We are free to take risks. What if we fail? What if we dont make it? Professionals had built the Titanic, whereas it was amateurs who built the Noshs ark. Decide for yourself, which fared better. We Indians are afraid of our own culture and traditions. We would all ouch our parents feet at home, but when abroad, in front of foreigners, we would think twice before doing so. We all want to race towards modernity, but how will a person who has forgotten his own traditions get accustomed to a foreign culture? The Yoga buzz took over the world and that is when we began appreciating the science of it, otherwise it would have been buried Just as many other ancient traditions before it. The Karakul system of education in India was one of the finest and was dedicated to the highest ideal of physical, spiritual and mental development. But today education is our biggest worry, as most of our population remains illiterate. We are afraid to question things and accept them as it is. Sitting under the tree, if Newton hadnt questioned as to why the apple fell on his head, we would not have been able to invent the plane. In school, where most of us received our education, we learnt to cram things without delving deep into them. All of us were taught in school that it was Natural Goods who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, but how many of us questioned as to why he did it? And how many of our school teachers knew the answer. A fool wonders, a wise man asks. Next, we have the fear of taking responsibility. We would rather hide behind other people when the time to accept responsibility comes up. We blame the system, the politicians, the bureaucracy and the corrupt babes. But we overlook the fact as to who made them corrupt. It is we who chose the politicians and it is we who are the system. When returning from office, you blame the infrastructure for the Jam-packed roads. Other Articles by Devise Restaurants Royals win inaugural PILL Medias love for ore wells Was Marina Khan the biggest loser in the Pakistan elections? Gujarat: Indians industrial hub Heartwarming story of a Caddie-turned-Golfer more >> But as the Lead India campaign says, You are really never part of a traffic Jam, you are the traffic Jam. Lastly, we are ashamed of being called Indians though we all are. When some of us go to chat online as anonymous users, we would choose to say we are from Canada or California but not from Kola. We would pass out of Its (Indian Institutes of Technology) and alms (Indian Institutes of Management) and receive rimier league players by heart, but we wouldnt know any Indian Hockey player apart from maybe Danna Pillar. Fear is a temporary state of the mind and can be overcome by positive thinking. We Indians would have to let go off all these fears and take off. Only those who risk going far can find out how far one can go. Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom. And once that fear is conquered, our mind could be led into ever widening thought and action, into that heaven of freedom. Where the Mind Is Without Fear Essay Example Where the Mind Is Without Fear Essay This poem was written when the British ruled our country. We were slaves to a foreign power. Rabindranath Tagore, the great Indian nationalist and visionary wanted India to awaken to a bright dawn of freedom – freedom from slavery and our own mental chains. Read the poem aloud once. Then read it silently. It would be a good idea to memorize the poem.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 depths 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 actioninto that heaven of freedom, my father, let my country awake. Rabindranath Tagore ENGLISH 87 Where the Mind is Where the Mind is Without Fear DISCUSSION Let us now read the following lines of the poem once again 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; Where words come out from the depths of truth; Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection; Notes INTEXT QUESTIONS 10. 1 1. What is meant by â€Å"mind is without fear and head is held high†. Tick the correct answer. (i) to be fearless and self respecting (ii) to be proud of one’s high position . iii) to stand straight and be carefree. 2. 3. What does the poet mean by â€Å"where knowledge is free†? The ‘domestic walls’ are usually associated with safety, comfort and love. Are these the feelings evoked by the phrase ‘narrow domestic walls’? If not, choose the correct answer from the ones given below: (i) small houses which make us feel cramped. (ii) ideas which are petty and narrow-minded. (iii) a house div ided into rooms by walls. 4. 5. Why has the word ‘tireless’ been used to describe ‘striving’? What are we striving for? DISCUSSION Now let us read further. Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the 88ENGLISH Where the Mind is Without Fear dreary desert sand of dead habit; Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever widening thought and actioninto that heaven of freedom, my father, let my country awake. In the first two lines the poet has identified ‘reason with clear stream’. And â€Å"dead habit† with â€Å"dreary desert†. Such an identification is called a metaphor. Like the ‘simile’, a metaphor is also a comparison of two or more things. But in a simile the comparison is made by using link words ‘like’ or ‘as’ whereas in a metaphor, words – ‘like’ and ‘as’ are not used. Example : Life is not a bed of roses (metaphor).Life is not as comfortable as a bed of roses (simile). Where the Mind is Notes INTEXT QUESTIONS 10. 2 1. (a) Why is reason compared with ‘clear stream’? (b) Where has reason lost its way? 2. Look at the line ‘dreary desert sand of dead habit. ’ The sound ‘d’ is repeated four times. Why? The repetition of sound gives the line a musical quality. This poetic device is called alliteration. We will now, go back to the first part of the poem. Can you pick out two lines where letter and sound are repeated? OVERALL QUESTIONS 1. 2. How does the poet describe ‘heaven of freedom’?Who does the poet address as ‘thee’ and my father? ENGLISH 89 Where the Mind is Where the Mind is Without Fear 3. Pick out metaphors and similes from the lines given below: ‘But swift as dreams myself I found within the pilot’s boat’. ‘The wind was a torrent of darkness/ the road was a ribbon of moonlight’ Notes ‘The ship went d own like lead. ’ ‘I pass like night from land to land. ’ CHECK YOUR ANSWERS Intext Questions 10. 1 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. (i) to be fearless and self respecting Where knowledge is available to all without any discrimination (ii) ideas which are petty and narrow-minded. ecause it is a continuous process (ii) personification (a) Clarity of thought is compared with clear stream. (b) in the dreary desert of dead habit. (i) the head is held high (ii) tireless striving stretches its arms. OVERALL QUESTIONS 1. 2. 3. Where head is held high, knowledge is free. Where people are open-minded and rational. God. Metaphor (i) wind was a torrent of darkness (ii) road was a ribbon of moonlight Simile Swift as dreams. Ship went down like lead. I pass like night. Intext Questions 10. 2 90 ENGLISH