Where the Mind is without Fear-Rabindranath Tagore-Explanation Line-to-line

Where the Mind Is Without Fear written by Rabindranath Tagore-Explanation of the Poem

 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
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

Line-to-line Explanation of the Poem
(Lines 1 to 4)

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

 

Word-meanings: 1. Held-kept 2. Fragments-pieces 3. Narrow domestic walls: Usually when there is division in a house, small walls are erected (built) to show separation in a family. But here in the poem, the poet thinks of his country as a family. He hopes that no walls should be built to separate one human being from the other. In a way the poet does want that his countrymen should be divided on the basis of caste, religion, culture, and dogmas.

4. ‘words come out from the depth of truth’: The poet wishes that his countrymen should be truthful. They should not become hypocrites. Whatever they think and do must come out of the depth of their hearts. It should be real and genuine.
Explanation: The poet imagines an ideal situation. He wishes that his countrymen should be bold and courageous. They should not have any fear in their minds. They should be able to hold their heads high with the honour. In the next line, the poet wishes that in his country knowledge should be free. It should not be the prerogative (special right) of the few. The light of knowledge should spread everywhere. Every child of the country should have the right to education. Such is Tagore’s concept of education.

 

‘Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls’

Tagore not only thinks of his own country India, it seems that he thinks of the whole world also (Vasudevo Kutumbhkam). He thinks of the whole world as a family which should not be divided into fragments (pieces). It happens when there is division into a family. Small domestic walls are built within the small house. Thus the unity of the family is destroyed.

But Tagore means to say that his country and even the whole world should not be divided on the basis of nationalities, languages, cultural differences, castes and religions.

‘Where words come out from the depth of truth’

In the above line, the poet wishes that his countrymen should be honest and truthful. He prays to God that his countrymen should be simple and straightforward. They should not show hypocrisy neither in their words nor in deeds. What they do should do or speak should come out of their hearts. It means they should be truthful and outspoken in words and deeds. The poet indeed imagines of an ideal situation in his country where no evil prevails.

 

Lines 5-8:

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
Word-meanings: 1.Tireless: without feeling tired 2. Striving: struggle

3. Clear stream of reasoning: The poet thinks of the mind in which the flow of thoughts is very clear 4. Dreary: dry 5. Thee: you 6. Dead habit: outdated customs and dogmas 7. Heaven of freedom: a country becomes a heaven of freedom when all the people respect one another’s freedom and rights.

 

Explanation: The poet makes a prayer to God that his country should be free in the real sense of the word. His countrymen should not be tired of struggling to achieve perfection in their work. Before doing anything the reasoning powers should guide them. They should not be swayed by their emotions while doing their actions.

A clear stream of well-reasoned thoughts should flow in their minds. Such thoughts should not be overpowered by the overflow of emotions that are related to their bad habits and old customs.

The poet also prays that the minds of his people should ever be widening. He means to say that his countrymen should always try to increase their knowledge.

Rabindranath Tagore compares well-reasoned thoughts to a stream full of clear water. He has also compared old habits, narrow-mindedness and dogmas to the sand that is spread in a vast dry desert. If, by any means, a stream of water is made to pass through such a desert, it would get lost into the dry sand. In that case, it will be a sheer wastage of valuable water. In the same way, well-reasoned thoughts also go waste if they are overpowered by bad habits, dogmas and narrow-mindedness.

So the poet prays to God that his countrymen should always have well-reasoned thoughts. There should not be any place for bad habits in their minds.

After that, the poet again prays to God that his countrymen’s minds should always keep on broadening. They should always accept new ideas to develop their mind and personalities. There should be appropriate coordination between their thoughts and actions. Every human being in his country should enjoy the freedom of thought.

If all the above wishes of the poet are granted by God, then, his country would really become a ‘heaven of freedom’.

 

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake

Lastly, the poet seems to pray to God to awaken the inner-being (deep insight) of his countrymen so that they should be able to differentiate between good and evil, right and wrong, and friend and foe.

 

Stanzas for Comprehensions:

Stanza 1.

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
Reference to the Context: The above lines have been taken from the poem ‘Where the Mind is without fear’ written by Rabindranath Tagore. In this poem, the poet thinks of an ideal situation. He prays to God that his country should be free in the real sense of the word. His countrymen should not be slaves to bad habits, narrow-mindedness, dogmas.

Explanation: The poet imagines an ideal situation. He wishes that his countrymen should be bold and courageous. They should not have any fear in their minds. They should be able to hold their heads high with the honour. In the next line, the poet wishes that in his country knowledge should be free. It should not be the prerogative (special right) of the few. The light of knowledge should spread everywhere. Every child of the country should have the right to education. Such is Tagore’s concept of education. Tagore not only thinks of his own country India, it seems that he thinks of the whole world also (Vasudevo Kutumbhkam). He thinks of the whole world as a family which should not be divided into fragments (pieces). It happens when there is a division into a family. Small domestic walls are built within the small house. Thus the unity of the family is destroyed.

But Tagore means to say that his country and even the whole world should not be divided on the basis of nationalities, languages, cultural differences, castes, and religions.

Stanza 2

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
Reference to the Context: The above lines have been taken from the poem ‘Where the Mind is without fear’ written by Rabindranath Tagore. In this poem, the poet thinks of an ideal situation. He prays to God that his country should be free in the real sense of the word. His countrymen should not be slaves to bad habits, narrow-mindedness, dogmas. They should live in harmony and unity. His country should be real heaven in which his countrymen will enjoy their freedom.

 

Explanation: The poet makes a prayer to God that his country should be free in the real sense of the word. Before doing anything the reasoning powers should guide them. They should not be swayed by their emotions while doing their actions.

A clear stream of well-reasoned thoughts should flow in their minds. Such thoughts should not be overpowered by the overflow of emotions that are related to their bad habits and old customs.

The poet also prays that the minds of his people should ever be widening. He means to say that his countrymen should always try to increase their knowledge.

Rabindranath Tagore compares well-reasoned thoughts to a stream full of clear water. He has also compared old habits, narrow-mindedness, and dogmas to the sand that is spread in a vast dry desert. If, by any means, a stream of water is made to pass through such a desert, it would get lost into the dry sand. In that case, it will be sheer wastage of valuable water. In the same way, well-reasoned thoughts also go waste if they are overpowered my bad habits, dogmas and narrow-mindedness.

So the poet prays to God that his countrymen should always have well-reasoned thoughts. There should not be any place for bad habits in their minds.

After that, the poet again prays to God that his countrymen’s minds should always keep on broadening. They should always accept new ideas to develop their mind and personalities. There should be appropriate coordination between their thoughts and actions. Every human being in his country should enjoy freedom of thought. Then and only then his country can be called a Heaven of freedom. They should always remain awakened.

 

 

Wide gap between the reality of contemporary India and Tagore's concept of India-Rabindranath Tagore-Where the Mind is without Fear

 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 freedom on the earth.

But in reality, we find quite an opposite picture. The people of our country are still slaves to so many evils. They are not mentally strong. Fear still prevails in the minds of people. Dogmas, narrow-mindedness, and social or moral evil is still present. Discrimination on the basis of colour, caste, and religion is present in the minds of many people.

So there is a wide gap between the reality of contemporary India and Tagore's concept of India.

Write a note on Tagore’s concept of the ‘Heaven of freedom’-Where the Mind is without Fear-Rabindranath Tagore

 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 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 freedom on the earth.

 

 

What kind of freedom does Tagore visualise for his country? Where the Mind is without Fear-Rabindranath Tagore

 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, Tagore prays to God that his countrymen should adopt certain qualities that make them ideal beings.  If all these qualities are imbibed into the personality of the people, then, his country would really become a heaven of freedom on the earth.

Ode on a Grecian Urn-John Keats-Explanation-Video 2 (Up to Lines 20)

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

Ode on a Grecian Urn-John Keats-Explanation- Video 1-B. A. 2nd Year English

Ode on A Grecian Urn-John Keats-Long Answer-type Questions

   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 the urn as an object that has survived the ravages of centuries. While human beings are born, grow old, and die, the urn continues to exist silently, preserving within itself the beauty and culture of ancient Greece. Thus, the urn becomes a powerful symbol of permanence and immortality.

 

The inspiration for the poem came from Keats's visit to the British Museum, where he carefully observed ancient Greek sculptures and classical vases. The beautifully carved figures on the urn stirred his poetic imagination. He was fascinated by the freshness, vitality, and perfection of the pastoral scenes representing the idyllic life of Tempe and Arcady, regions traditionally associated with peace, simplicity, and natural beauty.

 

The first scene depicts young men—or perhaps gods—chasing reluctant maidens. Keats describes it as a "mad pursuit." Although the lovers can never complete their chase, their passion never fades. In ordinary life, love is temporary. Beauty fades with age, and human emotions lose their intensity. But on the urn, the lovers remain forever young, forever filled with desire, and forever engaged in the same passionate moment. Their love is frozen in time and therefore escapes decay.

 

The second scene portrays musicians playing pipes and tambourines beneath leafy trees. Keats cannot hear their melodies because the music exists only in sculpture. Yet he declares:

 

"Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard

Are sweeter."

 

This famous statement reveals one of Keats's deepest aesthetic principles. The music imagined by the mind possesses greater perfection than music heard by the ears. Real music eventually ends, but the silent music carved on the urn continues forever. Thus, imagination transforms lifeless stone into an eternal source of beauty and delight.

 

The poet gradually loses his individual identity and becomes emotionally absorbed in the world of the urn. This reflects Keats's celebrated theory of Negative Capability, according to which a great poet can forget his own personality and merge completely into the object of contemplation. He no longer stands outside the artwork; instead, he imaginatively participates in its eternal life. He feels himself among the lovers, the musicians, and the worshippers.

 

Keats repeatedly emphasizes that everything represented on the urn remains permanently youthful. The trees never shed their leaves. Spring never changes into autumn. The piper never grows weary of playing his instrument. The lover forever stands on the verge of kissing his beloved, though the kiss itself never occurs.

 

The poet consoles the disappointed lover with the memorable words:

 

"Bold Lover, never, never canst thou kiss,

Though winning near the goal—yet, do not grieve;

She cannot fade."

 

This passage beautifully illustrates both the strength and limitation of artistic permanence. The lover never achieves fulfilment, but he also never experiences disappointment, separation, or old age. His beloved remains eternally beautiful, untouched by the destructive power of time.

 

In another section of the poem, Keats describes a solemn religious procession in which a priest leads a beautifully decorated calf to the altar for sacrifice. The surrounding town is mysteriously deserted because all its inhabitants have joined the ceremony. Unlike the earlier scenes, this one suggests the passage of human history. The deserted town raises unanswered questions about the lives of its people. Since the urn remains silent, the mystery is never solved. The permanence of art preserves not only beauty but also mystery.

 

Throughout the poem, Keats contrasts these changeless scenes with the realities of human existence. Human life is governed by time. Youth gradually disappears. Beauty fades. Love changes. Happiness is followed by sorrow. Every human being must ultimately face suffering, decay, and death. This awareness becomes especially poignant when we remember that Keats himself suffered from tuberculosis and knew that his own life would probably be short. His personal experience of mortality gives emotional depth to his meditation on permanence.

 

The contrast between life and art may be summarized as follows:

 

Human beauty fades; artistic beauty remains.

Human passion declines; artistic passion remains forever fresh.

Human music ends; artistic music is eternal.

Human generations pass away; works of art survive centuries.

 

However, Keats does not present art as entirely superior to life. The permanence of art comes at a price. The lovers can never fulfil their desire. The musicians can never complete a song. The sacrificial procession never reaches its destination. Artistic perfection is achieved by suspending life at a single moment. Real life, though imperfect, possesses movement, growth, fulfilment, and change. Thus, Keats subtly suggests that permanence and transience each possess their own value.

The poem reaches its philosophical climax in the concluding lines:

 

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all

Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."

 

These much-debated lines express Keats's belief that genuine beauty reveals a profound truth about existence. The urn, through its eternal beauty, communicates a timeless wisdom to humanity. Long after countless generations have disappeared, it will continue to remind mankind of the enduring power of artistic creation.

 

In conclusion, Ode on a Grecian Urn develops the theme of transience and permanence through a series of vividly imagined scenes carved upon an ancient urn. Keats contrasts the ever-changing, imperfect, and mortal nature of human life with the changeless perfection of art. While human beings are subject to time, decay, and death, art possesses the power to preserve beauty, passion, and imagination for centuries. Yet Keats also recognizes that artistic permanence is purchased at the cost of movement and fulfilment. The poem, therefore, becomes not merely a celebration of art but a profound philosophical reflection on the relationship between life, beauty, imagination, time, and eternity.

 

Q.2. Keats is preoccupied with the imperfection of ordinary human experience and the perfection of art. Elaborate.

Answer: John Keats's Ode on a Grecian Urn is one of the finest poetic explorations of the relationship between ordinary human experience and the ideal perfection achieved through art. Throughout the poem, Keats reflects upon the limitations of human life and contrasts them with the timeless perfection preserved in artistic creation. The poem reveals the Romantic belief that imagination and art possess the power to transcend the suffering, instability, and mortality that characterize ordinary existence.

 

The poem opens with Keats standing before an ancient Grecian urn. The sight of its exquisitely carved figures immediately awakens his imagination. Overwhelmed by admiration, he addresses the urn through a series of affectionate titles such as "still unravish'd bride of quietness," "foster-child of silence and slow time," and "Sylvan historian." These expressions suggest that the urn has outlived countless generations and has silently preserved the beauty of an ancient civilization.

 

To an ordinary observer, the carvings on the urn would appear merely as decorative figures. However, Keats possesses what Romantic critics call the creative imagination. His imagination breathes life into the sculptured figures. The stone images cease to be lifeless; they become living characters engaged in various human activities. Thus, the poet enters into a dialogue between the real world and the ideal world of art.

 

The scenes represented on the urn portray familiar experiences of ordinary human life. There are passionate lovers chasing reluctant maidens, musicians playing melodious tunes beneath leafy trees, lovers expressing affection, priests leading sacrificial processions, villagers participating in religious ceremonies, and peaceful rural landscapes. All these belong to everyday human existence.

 

Yet there is one remarkable difference. In ordinary life, every experience is temporary. Human beauty fades with age. Love loses its intensity. Songs come to an end. Festivals conclude. Trees shed their leaves. Seasons change. Joy is followed by sorrow, and life itself ultimately ends in death.

 

On the urn, however, these same experiences have been transformed into artistic perfection. They are frozen forever at the most beautiful and emotionally satisfying moment. The lovers remain forever young. The maiden's beauty never diminishes. The trees remain permanently green. The spring season never changes. The musicians continue to play without fatigue. Human passion remains eternally fresh.

 

Keats beautifully captures this idea when he writes:

 

"Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave

Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare."

 

Unlike real trees, which lose their leaves every autumn, the trees on the urn remain perpetually in bloom. Nature itself has become idealized through artistic imagination.

 

Similarly, the lover remains forever on the verge of kissing his beloved. In ordinary life, love eventually reaches fulfilment, after which passion gradually declines. On the urn, however, desire remains permanently alive because fulfilment is eternally postponed. Keats consoles the lover:

 

"Though winning near the goal—yet, do not grieve;

She cannot fade."

 

This statement illustrates the paradox of artistic perfection. The lover never achieves the kiss he desires, yet he never experiences loss, disappointment, betrayal, or separation. Art preserves emotional intensity by preventing change.

 

The silent music played by the carved musicians offers another example of artistic perfection. Although no actual sound reaches the ears, Keats declares that "unheard melodies are sweeter." Physical music eventually fades into silence, but imagined music continues endlessly within the human mind. Thus, imagination creates a higher reality than sensory experience.

 

The poem also reflects Keats's philosophical doctrine of Negative Capability. According to this concept, a great poet is capable of surrendering his individual identity and completely identifying himself with the object he contemplates. While gazing upon the urn, Keats forgets his own personality and mentally enters the artistic world. He experiences the emotions of the lovers, hears the silent melodies, and participates in the timeless existence preserved by the sculptor.

 

The religious procession depicted in the fourth stanza further develops the contrast between ordinary life and artistic permanence. A priest leads a beautifully decorated calf towards the altar while the entire town has gone to witness the sacrifice. The little town remains forever deserted because the people never return. Unlike real events, which begin and end, artistic events remain eternally suspended. The mystery surrounding the deserted town stimulates the imagination of every new generation of readers.

 

Nevertheless, Keats does not entirely reject ordinary human experience. He realizes that the perfection of art has its own limitations. The figures on the urn are incapable of growth, fulfilment, or change. They experience neither suffering nor happiness in the complete sense. They cannot mature, marry, raise families, or experience the full richness of human existence. Their perfection is static rather than dynamic.

 

Real human life, though imperfect, possesses qualities that art can never fully reproduce. Human beings experience hope, fulfilment, disappointment, struggle, sacrifice, compassion, and spiritual growth. Life derives its beauty partly from its impermanence. Every joyful moment becomes precious precisely because it cannot last forever.

 

This balanced understanding gives extraordinary depth to Keats's poem. Art may preserve beauty forever, but life alone offers genuine experience. The poet therefore neither condemns life nor blindly glorifies art. Instead, he presents a subtle dialogue between two different kinds of perfection.

 

Many literary critics have interpreted the poem from this perspective. Walter Jackson Bate observes that Keats attempts to reconcile the changing world of human experience with the timeless world of artistic imagination. Cleanth Brooks regards the poem as an exploration of the paradox that permanence can only be achieved by sacrificing movement and fulfilment. Similarly, M. H. Abrams emphasizes that Romantic poets considered imagination a creative force capable of transforming ordinary reality into ideal beauty.

 

The poem concludes with the famous lines:

 

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all

Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."

 

These words summarize Keats's aesthetic philosophy. True art reveals essential truths through beauty, while beauty itself embodies truth. Although scholars have debated the precise meaning of these lines, they undoubtedly affirm Keats's lifelong faith in the enduring value of artistic creation.

 

In conclusion, Ode on a Grecian Urn presents a profound contrast between the imperfection of ordinary human experience and the perfection achieved through art. Human life is governed by time, change, decay, and death, whereas art preserves beauty, youth, passion, and imagination in an eternal form. Yet Keats also recognizes that artistic perfection lacks the movement, fulfilment, and vitality of real life. Through this delicate balance, he demonstrates that while life is transient and imperfect, art possesses the unique power to immortalize its finest moments. The poem thus stands as one of the greatest Romantic celebrations of beauty, imagination, and the everlasting power of art.

 

Ode On A Grecian Urn

 Long answer-type Questions (Word-limit:100-150) 

 Q1. Discuss the development of the theme of transience and permanence as discussed in the poem ‘Ode on the Grecian Urn’.

   Ans. In this poem, John Keats contrasts life to a work of art. Towards the end of the poem, the poet asserts the superiority of art over real life.

   The poet advocates the idea that life is always transient while the life depicted in a work of art is perfect and permanent.

   The poet happened to visit the British Museum, where he looked at the urn that is being discussed in the present poem. He was greatly excited to see the freshness and perfection in the carved images taken from the pastoral life of the people living in Tempe or the valleys of Arcady.

He saw some men or gods pursuing some maidens who were trying to escape from them. The poet calls it a mad pursuit. Then, the poet’s eyes fall on the musicians, who play upon their pipes and tumbrels. The poet is not able to hear the music. But he can imagine that they were lost in a wild ecstasy while playing upon their instruments.

All the images are so perfectly carved on the urn that the poet also enters into the state of imagination. He feels as if he were there one among the lovers and the pipers. We may say that the poet achieves the state of negative capability here. He has forgotten his own self and started enjoying the music and the passion of the lovers’ ‘mad pursuit’.

Thus the whole poem revolves around the theme of transience of life and permanence of a work of art.

The poet says that the passion of the lovers will never diminish. It will remain the same for centuries together till the urn remains undamaged in the British Museum. The trees on the urn will remain green forever and their leaves will never get dry due to the ravaging effect of time. The musicians will never get tired of playing upon their instruments like pipes and tumbrels. The lovers will never be able to kiss their beloveds. But the poet tries to console them by saying that their beloved will always remain young.

In this way, human generations will come and go. But the artistic carvings on the urn shall always be the source of joy and solace. They will always provide relief to us from the bitter realities of life.

But in real life, everything is in a state of flux. So nothing is constant and permanent. All the physical world on the earth is subject to decay and death. The urn is also a physical object. But its life is longer than that of human beings if it is kept safe and sound.

Finally, the poet gives a great message to all human beings. He advises us that the Truth is always a Beauty and Beauty is always Truth.

Q2. Keats is preoccupied with the imperfection of ordinary human experience and the perfection of art. Elaborate.

Ans. John Keats is really preoccupied with the theme of the imperfection of ordinary human experience and the perfection in a work of art in this poem.

The opening of this poem shows how Keats’ imagination was stirred (moved) to see the beautiful images carved on the outer sides of the urn. He was so much excited that he called the urn by different names in one breath.

But in reality, there were several images of ordinary human experiences were carved on the urn. To an ordinary human being, those carvings on the urn were just beautiful images. But John Keats was not an ordinary human being. He was endowed with the power of great romantic imagination that could transport him in the world of the work of art carved on the urn.

He found himself standing at a distance watching all the human experiences carved there on the urn. Now they were not just images. They became alive all of a sudden for the poet. He watched that the passionate lovers were pursuing the reluctant maidens. The musicians were playing upon their instruments. A lover was singing under a tree. A priest was leading a calf to the place of the altar to perform its sacrifice to please some deity. The people of the town were also going to watch the sacrifice.

All these scenes of ordinary human experiences carved on the urn were still fresh and young. The poet’s imagination made all these images look so true and beautiful that they were a source of great joy and relief to the poet’s heart.

A great work of art is always a source of joy for human beings. Human generations will come and go. Through the power of imagination, human beings would enter the world of art and get some relief from the bitter realities of life. After having some relaxation from their dull routine of life, they would resume their routine of life.

Thus a work of art if truly and perfectly depicted is always beautiful and permanent source of joy for human beings. But human experiences are never perfect. There always remains scope for more improvement. Human passions and human life do not continue for long. Everything on this earth is subject to decay and death.

Thus we may conclude that perfection can only be achieved in a work of art. Life experiences remain imperfect.

 

 

 

 

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Female Characters-The Merchant of Venice-William Shakespeare

 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, kindness, wit, humour, etc.

 These qualities make her stature very high. The reader/audience loves her even in her weak moments of life when she feels caught in difficulty due to the vow given to her late father. She is not free to choose the husband of her choice. She respects her father’s strange will unto the last. She shows her deep love for Bassanio and deep respect and loyalty to her father. She is also full of the milk of human kindness. When she comes to know from Bassanio about  Antonio’s difficulty, she at once tells her husband to stop all his work and go to Venice to save his friend.

It is her presence of mind that she at once makes a plan to reach Venice to save Antonio in the Duke’s court. She intelligently and very confidently handles Antonio’s case. Thus she not only saves Antonio but also gets Shylock punished for the crime that he committed against humanity.

In this way, she also overshadows not only other female characters but also male ones including her husband Bassanio, who has been created in low profile. It is, later on, Bassanio’s character is redeemed (saved/recovered) when he reaches Venice to help Antonio in the Duke’s court. There he shows much concern for his friend’s life. He offers Shylock several times more money than it was taken as a loan from him. But the Jew is not ready to forgive Antonio. Bassanio also tells the Jew that he can cut every part of his body but spare Antonio’s life.

Another female character is Jessica. She is Shylock’s daughter. She elopes with her lover Lorenzo taking with her a lot of valuables from her house. She does not love her father. She condemns him for his evil-doings. She also calls her house a hell. She feels ashamed of being called Shylock’s daughter. although she feels bad for such types of feelings for her father. Lorenzo and Jessica waste Shylock’s money when they stay at several places during elopement time. Thus we do not have a very high opinion about Jessica. She loves money. That is why she took diamonds and ducats with her. In Portia’s absence, Lorenzo and Jessica take care of her house.

The third female character in the play is Nerissa, who marries Gratiano. She is Portia’s woman-in-waiting. She provides (gives) company to her. Portia shares her thoughts and feelings with her. In Act, I, Scene (ii), Portia feels sad to think that she is not free to choose the husband of her choice. Then she tells Portia that her father was really a wise person. She consoles her that she would finally get a husband who would truly love her. Nerissa also accompanies Portia in the Duke’s court. In the ring episode also, Nerissa has an equal part to play. In a way, she has been created as a foil to Portia to highlight her qualities.

 In this way, there are three female characters in The Merchant of Venice, who dominate their male counterparts.

 

When You Are Old-Explanation-Line-to-Line-W B Yeats

 

When You Are Old-Explanation-Line-to-Line-W B Yeats

William Butler Yeats was born in Dublin in 1865 and died in 1939. He was a great Irish poet. He is considered one of the great modern poets also. He began writing poetry at an early age and he was much influenced by Spenser, Shelley, and a few Pre-Raphaelite poets also. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1923.

About the Poem

When You Are Old’ is WB Yeats’ memorable poem which deals with the theme of ‘love’ that is expressed by the poet in a very unique manner. It is said that the great Irish poet, W. B. Yeats had immense love for Maud Gonne, who was equally active in native politics. Several times the poet expressed his love for her, but he was always met with rejection.

It seems that, while writing this poem, the poet writes this poem keeping in view his beloved Maud Gonne, whom he continuously loved and his love indeed met with a failure.

In the present poem, the poet tries to convince his beloved that he was the only person who loved her from the core of his heart and his love for her spirit.

In the above lines, the poet addresses his beloved that she should take down ‘this book’ and read it slowly when she grows old,  her hair becomes grey and she sits by the fire feeling sleepy and nodding on some winter evening. The poet uses the demonstrative adjective ‘this’ for the book. 

It means the poet means to indicate to her to read the particular book in which the present poem would also be there. He further suggests to his beloved that after going through the pages of the book of poems, she should recollect, as if in a dream, that her eyes once had the soft look and her eyes were deep and shadowy.

It means she had very beautiful eyes. The use of the word ‘nodding’ shows the aging effect on her. It also creates beautiful imagery.

Stanza 2

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

Explanation: In the first stanza, the poet suggests to her to analyse how many of the young men loved her truly or falsely. After deep consideration, she would reach the conclusion that all of them had physical love in their hearts for her. But still, there was one who loved her ‘pilgrim soul’. 

The poet also claims that he was always sensitive to the changes that went on her face from time to time. It shows the poet’s deep devotion to her and is a testimony to ‘his true love for her. He knew when her face showed the marks of sadness and sorrow. Only the poet was able to read and understand even the minutest changes on her face.

The poet has called the ‘soul’ as a pilgrim. It means that the poet also believes in life after death like Robert Browning, a great Victorian poet. According to Oriental philosophy, the human soul is immortal and leaves the body after death to take new birth.  Thus human soul travels like a pilgrim to reach its final abode, Heaven, the pilgrimage. This is what the poet wants to convey to us by using the phrase ‘pilgrim soul’.

 Stanza 3.

And bending down beside the glowing bars,/  Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead/  And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

Explanation: In this stanza also, the poet again imagines his beloved as an old woman who is sitting beside the fire. Now she is bending down the glowing ‘bars’ of the fireplace, and murmuring a few words of regret as to how the true love has fled from the world and become impossible to find.

The poet uses personification here to bring out the meaning that true love is a rare phenomenon on this earth. He says that it has left the earthly surroundings and fled by pacing upon the mountains. It has hidden his face amid the crowd of stars. 

One cannot pick up a star and bring it down on the earth. So it has become to find true love on the earth. The use of the word ‘murmur’ shows regret.

Here, it may also be concluded that by presenting the picture of love disappearing from the earth, the poet means to make his beloved realise that his love for her is true. 

When You Are Old-Qs-Ans-WB Yeats-English for B.A. Semester III

 Questions & Answers: When You Are Old By WB Yeats:

Answer in about 20-30 words

Q1. Explain the rhyme scheme used in the poem ‘When You Are Old’.

Ans. In this poem, each stanza has four lines. We also find that in each stanza. the first line rhymes with the fourth and the second line rhymes with the third one. This is the rhyme scheme in the poem is abba,

cddc, effe

Q2. How does the poet use personification in this poem 'When You Are Old'?

Ans. The poet uses personification here to bring out the meaning that true love is a rare phenomenon on this earth. He says that it has left the earthly surroundings and fled by pacing upon the mountains. It has hidden his face amid the crowd of stars. One cannot pick up a star and bring it down on the earth. So it has become to find true love on the earth. The use of the word ‘murmur’ shows regret.

Q3. How does Yeats nostalgically recall his beloved?

Ans. The poet nostalgically recalls the days when his beloved was young and beautiful. He uses beautiful imagery here to make his point clear. The poet says that when a flower is fresh and young, so many drones fly around it. But as the flowers wither, all drones leave it. Similarly, in youth, many young men hovered around his beloved. But as she grew old, all the fake lovers would leave hovering around her.

Q4. Who is referred to as hiding his face in the crowd of stars?

Ans. The poet uses personification here to bring out the meaning that true love is a rare phenomenon on this earth. He personifies ‘love’ as a bird and ‘stars’ as beautiful objects that cannot be brought back to this physical world. He says that it has left the earthly surroundings and fled by pacing upon the mountains. It has hidden his face amid the crowd of stars.

Q5. What does the poet ask the lady to do when she turns old?

Ans. The poet advises his beloved to take down ‘this book’ and read it slowly when she grows old. After reading the book, she might remember that once she was young and beautiful. She would also remember that so many young men showed their love to her at that time. But, now, in her old age, all have left her. She would come to know that their love was fake. But the poet claims that he loves her still in her old age. His love is pure towards his ‘pilgrim soul’.

Q6.What will happen to the lady when she turns old?

Ans. The poet imagines a situation when his beloved grows old. At that time, her physical beauty would be lost. There would be no charm and freshness on her face. In her youth, so many young men claimed their love towards her. But in old age, all would leave her. No one comes to her to claim his love for her. But the poet claims that he still loves her truly. His love was always deep and permanent for her.

Q7.Why does the poet call the soul of his beloved a ‘pilgrim’?

Ans. The poet has called his beloved’s soul a pilgrim. It means that the poet also believes in life after death like Robert Browning, a great Victorian poet. According to Oriental philosophy, the human soul is immortal and leaves the body after death to take new birth.  Thus human soul travels like a pilgrim to reach its final abode, Heaven, the pilgrimage. The poet loved her soul. This is what the poet wants to convey to us by using the phrase ‘pilgrim soul’.

 

Answer in 100 to 150 words

Q1. General Question: About the poet’s personal experience/ views revealed on love in the poem

Ans. W. B. Yeats expresses his views on true love in this poem. He believes in true love that never changes. He says that most of the lovers in this world believe in physical love. Physical love fades away as the beloved starts becoming old. This poem expresses the poet’s personal experience. He had a deep love for his beloved, Maud Gonne. Several times he approached her and expressed his love for her. But every time he received a rejection. In the present poem, the poet expresses his true love for her. He imagines that at that time, she would be old and sitting all alone by the fire feeling sleepy. Then she would recall how several young men used to express their love for her. But in her old age, no one would be there to love her truly except one (i.e. the poet), who loved her pilgrim soul truly. The poet believes that her heart would be filled with regret at that time for not responding to the poet’s true love. But it would be too late then.

 Q2. Comment on the title of the poem, ‘When You Are Old’?

Ans. The title of the poem is quite appropriate (apt/right). In this poem, the poet imagines a situation when his beloved would be old in age. At that time, her hair would be grey and she would be feeling sleepy while sitting by the fire on some winter evening.

After that, the poet talks about how her physical beauty would be destroyed by the passage of time. His beloved’s eyes and cheeks would remain no more attractive. She would lose her all physical charms.

Then the poet says that his beloved had so many lovers in her youth. They used to keep hovering around her. But in her old age, all of them deserted (left) her. They did not love her truly. The poet also says that true love is a very rare phenomenon. Very few people like the poet himself are left there in the world having true love for their beloved. He loves the ‘pilgrim soul’ of his beloved.

Q3. The poem, ‘When You are Old’, comes up with a concept of love that is pure, spiritual, and unconditional. Elaborate.

Ans. The poet comes up with a concept of true love in this poem. He says that true love never changes with the passage of time. A true lover loves the spirit, the soul of his beloved, not the body. People may love their beloveds for their physical charms. But their love disappears as soon as the bodily charms start fading due to the aging effect. Such lovers are like the drones that hover around the beautiful flowers. But they leave the flower when they wither away.

 Actually, the poet clarifies all this through his personal experience. He had a deep love for his beloved, Maud Gonne. Several times he approached her and expressed his love for her. But every time he received a rejection. But in this poem, he says that he always loved his beloved unconditionally. He never expected the love in return from her. He always loved her in her sad and happy moments. He always noticed the minutest changes on her face. He loved her ‘pilgrim soul’, not her body. He never felt dejected whenever he received a rejection from his beloved.

Thus the poet explains the concept of true love in this poem.

Q4. Describe the role of Time in this poem ‘When You Are Old’.

Ans. We do find the role of time in the present poem. Here, we also remember William Shakespeare’s concept of true love and the role of time in it. Shakespeare talked about the ravaging effect of time on every object, living, and one-living in this world. All physical objects have to decay and die after some time. Similarly, the beauty of human bodies and that of other objects on this earth have to suffer decay and death. But true love never changes with the passage of time.

The same concept of true love and time finds echoes in this poem. The poet claims true love towards his beloved in this poem. He says that his love is beyond the destructive effect of time. He loved her when she was beautiful and young. He continued loving her even when she lost her physical charms. He still loved her ‘pilgrim soul’. His love is unique and different. His love was not accepted by his beloved, yet he continued loving her with the same intense feeling.

Thus time could not destroy the poet’s deep love for his beloved.