Spiritual Elements in Where the Mind is Without Fear.

Answer

What spiritual elements do you find in “Where the Mind is Without Fear”? 

“Where the Mind is Without Fear” is the 35th poem of Rabindranath Tagore’s (1861-1941) Gitanjali, originally published in 1910. In the poem, we find several spiritual elements. The poem is Tagore’s prayer for an ideal society that is free and where people are spiritually enlightened.

Truth and Freedom: At the beginning of the poem, Tagore envisions a state/society where the people are fearless and free. He begins the poem with the following line:

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high,

After that, Tagore prays for the spiritual enlightenment of his people. He highlights the value of truth, which is a spiritual quality. He prays,

Where words come out from the depth of truth.

This line suggests the importance of honesty, a core spiritual principle. It also implies that people should be allowed to be honest, especially amid the oppression of British colonial rule in India.

Free from Superstitions: Again, Tagore prays for a spiritually enlightened society as he believes people should avoid superstitions or “dead habit.” He urges people to embrace clear, reasoned thought. This rejection of narrow-mindedness and nonsensical traditions/customs aligns with spiritual ideals. Tagore wishes people to rise to a spiritual quality where conscious thought is valued.

Prayer to God: Tagore ends the poem with a strong spiritual note. He directly prays to God for the freedom and enlightenment of his country. He ends the poem with the following line:

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

In short, Tagore seeks spiritual awakening for his nation throughout “Where the Mind is Without Fear.”