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UNIVERSAL EDUCATION ICSE GRADE X ENGLISH LITERATURE Where the mind is without fear Rabindranath Tagore Q1. Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:- Where the mind is without fear walls. a) Which place is envisaged by the poet? Whose mind is the poet talking about? Ans. The place envisaged by the poet is a country, where people are fearless and selfrespecting, where there is no hindrance in acquiring knowledge, and where people are united. The poet is talking about the minds of the people residing in such a country. What does the poet mean by saying the head is held high? What is a sonnet? Ans. The poet means that the people are living a life of dignity and self respect. A Sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines that follows a strict rhyme scheme and specific structure. It is divided into two stanzas, the octave (the first eight lines) followed by the answering sestet (the final six lines). 3 b) 3 c) What does he mean by saying where knowledge is free? What were the restrictions imposed on the spread of knowledge? Ans. He means to say that in his dream country, people will have an easy access to knowledge, irrespective of caste, class, creed or religion. Earlier, education was the monopoly of the higher caste and upper class. Knowledge was restricted by orthodox beliefs, customs and traditions, whereby education was denied to the poor, untouchables and girls. 3 d) What are the narrow domestic walls that threaten to disintegrate the world? Ans. The narrow domestic walls are the walls of narrow thinking and prejudices based on caste, creed, colour and faith that threaten to disintegrate the world. 3 e) What does the poet say immediately after these lines in the context? When was the poem written? Ans. The poet says that in an independent India, as envisaged by him, people should be sincere and truthful. They should speak from the core of their hearts. The poem was written by Tagore when India was under the subjugation of the British. Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:Where words .dead habit. a) What kind of a place is envisaged by the poet in the above extract? What has the poet said earlier about knowledge in the context? Ans. The poet envisages an enlightened and independent India where there is 4 Q2. 3
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