English Literature Made Easy for Students

  Where the Mind Is Without Fear written by Rabindranath Tagore   About the Poet Rabindra Nath Tagore is a well-known poet and writer of India. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his collection of poems under the title ‘Gitanjali’. The present poem appeared in that collection of poems. The poet had written this poem in Bengali, but later he himself translated this poem into English. About the Poem Tagore wrote this poem when India was under British rule. People were hopeful in those days that sooner or later, their country was going to be liberated from the slavery of the British. Tagore was also cherishing the hope of freedom. So he wrote this poem in which he made prayer to God to grant his country the real type of freedom. By reading this poem, we come to know what type of freedom Tagore wished to get for his country. Text of the Poem   Where the Mind id without Fear Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high Where knowledge is free Wh...

  Q3. Comment on the wide gap between the reality of contemporary India and Tagore's concept of India. Ans. In the poem, ‘Where the Mind is without Fear;, the poet Rabindranath Tagore cherishes ideal conditions for his country. He thinks that political and economic freedoms are useless if the people are not mentally free. Our mind should not be a slave to any dogmas, narrow-mindedness, and social or moral evil. He thinks of a country where people are fearless, courageous, and brave. There should not be any barrier that divides his countrymen on the basis of colour, caste, and creed.  His countrymen should be free to increase their knowledge. Education in his country should be free for all. The people of his country should be broad-minded, honest, and generous in nature.  They should be true to their word actions and thoughts.  If all these qualities are imbibed into the personality of the people, then, his country would really become a heaven of...

  Q2. Write a note on Tagore’s concept of the ‘Heaven of freedom’. Ans. According to common perception (view/opinion), heaven is a place where everything is in ideal condition. No evil is found there. It is a place where gods and goddesses are found.  Tagore also cherishes (takes pleasure in) the dream in which he wishes his country to become a place like heaven. So we may say that it is only possible when everything becomes ideal and human beings also behave as gods and goddesses do. For that, Tagore prays to God that his countrymen should adopt certain qualities that make them ideal beings. He thinks that political and economic freedoms are useless if the people are not mentally free. Our mind should not be a slave to any dogmas, narrow-mindedness, and social or moral evil. He thinks of a country where people are fearless, courageous, and brave. There should not be any barrier that divides his countrymen on the basis of colour, caste, and creed.  His countrymen shou...

  Q.1. What kind of freedom does Tagore visualise for his country? Ans.  Rabindranath Tagore dreams that his country should be a heaven on earth.  Tagore gives very much importance to mental freedom.  Our mind should not be a slave to any dogmas, narrow-mindedness, and social or moral evil. He thinks of a country where people are fearless, courageous, and brave. There should not be any barrier that divides his countrymen on the basis of colour, caste, and creed.  His countrymen should be free to increase their knowledge. Education in his country should be free for all. The people of his country should be broad-minded, honest, and generous in nature.  They should be true to their word actions and thoughts. Tagore also cherishes (takes pleasure in) the dream in which he wishes his country to become a place like heaven. So we may say that it is only possible when everything becomes ideal and human beings also behave as gods and goddesses do. For that, Tago...

Ode on a Grecian Urn-John Keats-Long answer-type Questions-Video 2 of 2

    Ode on A Grecian Urn-John Keats-Long Answer-type Questions Q.1. Discuss the development of the theme of transience and permanence as discussed in Ode on a Grecian Urn. Answer: John Keats's Ode on a Grecian Urn is one of the greatest achievements of English Romantic poetry. It is a profound meditation on the relationship between time and eternity, change and permanence, life and art. The central theme of the poem is the contrast between the transience of human life and the permanence of art. Throughout the poem, Keats develops this contrast by examining the beautifully carved scenes on an ancient Grecian urn and comparing their everlasting existence with the fleeting nature of human experience.   At the very beginning of the poem, Keats addresses the urn with deep admiration. He calls it the "still unravish'd bride of quietness," "foster-child of silence and slow time," and "Sylvan historian." These expressions immediately establish t...

  Female Characters in ‘The Merchant of Venice’ Ans. William Shakespeare is a past master in creating life-like characters in his plays. There is a large range of male and female characters in his plays painted in different shades of colours in life. Some of his female characters like Cordelia in King Lear, Portia in The Merchant of Venice, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Desdemona in Othello, and so on are really wonderfully created female characters. Let’s discuss female characters in the Merchant of Venice. Shakespeare seems to have created female characters in this play intentionally stronger than their male counterparts. We have three female characters: Portia Jessica and Nerissa.   Portia dominates  by her qualities not only the female but also the male characters. She has several qualities of head and heart. She has intelligence, wisdom, loyalty, romantic nature, presence of mind, confidence, kindne...