PSEB Class 10 English Poem 5 Where the Mind is Without Fear Important Question Answers from English Main Course Book
PSEB Class 10 English Where the Mind is Without Fear Question Answers – Looking for questions and answers for PSEB Class 10 English Main Course Book Poem 5 Where the Mind is Without Fear? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practising Class 10 English question answers can significantly improve your performance in the exam. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring Poem 5 Where the Mind is Without Fear now. The questions listed below are based on the latest PSEB exam pattern. All the Questions Answers given at the back of the lesson have also been covered.
- Where the Mind is Without Fear Textbook Questions
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PSEB Class 10 English Poem 5 Where the Mind is Without Fear Textbook Questions
1. What is the central idea of the poem?
Ans. The central idea is Tagore’s vision of true freedom for India. He prays for a nation without fear, where knowledge is free, society is united, truth prevails, people strive for perfection with rational thinking, and minds continuously expand. This represents complete spiritual, intellectual, and social liberation beyond mere political independence.
2. Write a summary of the poem.
Ans. Tagore prays to God for India’s awakening into an ideal nation with seven qualities: fearlessness and dignity, free knowledge, unity without divisions, truthful speech, continuous striving for perfection, rational thinking free from dead habits, and ever-expanding minds. He concludes by asking God to awaken his country into this “heaven of freedom.”
3. What is the meaning of the line ‘where knowledge is free’?
Ans. “Where knowledge is free” means education should be accessible to everyone without barriers of caste, class, gender, or economic status. In Tagore’s time, education was restricted to privileged groups. He envisions a society where all people can freely pursue knowledge without discrimination, restrictions, or obstacles.
4. Why is the world broken by narrow domestic walls? What can we do about it?
Ans. The world is broken by narrow domestic walls because people create divisions based on caste, religion, region, and language. These barriers fragment humanity and prevent unity. We can overcome this by developing broad-mindedness, respecting diversity, promoting inclusive education, practicing tolerance, and recognizing our common humanity beyond superficial differences.
5. What does the poet desire for his country?
Ans. The poet desires complete awakening and true freedom for India. He wants a fearless nation with dignity, free knowledge for all, unity without divisions, honesty in speech, continuous striving for perfection, rational thinking free from superstitions, and progressive minds guided by God, a spiritually and intellectually enlightened nation.
6. Read some other poems by R.N. Tagore. How do you find these?
Ans. Tagore’s poetry reflects profound spirituality, humanism, and love for nature. Poems from Gitanjali express deep philosophical insights in simple, lyrical language. They explore divine love, human dignity, and social justice. His verse combines mysticism with practical social concern, creating timeless, inspiring messages with universal appeal rooted in Indian culture.
Punjab Board Class 10 English Poem 5 Where the Mind is Without Fear Extra Question and Answers
Extract-Based questions
A.
“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;”
Q1. What does “mind is without fear” signify?
Ans. “Mind is without fear” signifies a state of complete fearlessness where people don’t live under oppression, tyranny, or any form of intimidation. They can think independently, express themselves freely, and live with dignity without fear of punishment, discrimination, or social persecution.
Q2. What does “head is held high” mean?
Ans. “Head is held high” means living with dignity, self-respect, and pride. It represents a society where people are not humiliated, oppressed, or forced to bow down before injustice, but can stand upright with honor and confidence.
Q3. What is meant by “knowledge is free”?
Ans. “Knowledge is free” means that education and learning should be accessible to everyone without barriers of caste, class, gender, or economic status. Knowledge shouldn’t be monopolized or restricted but should be available to all who seek it.
Q4.What are “narrow domestic walls”?
Ans. “Narrow domestic walls” are the artificial barriers and divisions that fragment society, such as caste, religion, region, language, and other prejudices. These walls break humanity into conflicting groups and prevent unity and brotherhood.
Q5. What vision does this extract present?
Ans. This extract presents Tagore’s vision of an ideal society characterized by fearlessness, dignity, freely accessible knowledge, and unity. It describes a nation where people live without oppression, have access to education, and aren’t divided by narrow prejudices or artificial barriers.
B.
“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;”
Q1. What does “words come out from the depth of truth” mean?
Ans. This means that speech and communication should be genuine, honest, and sincere, emerging from truthfulness rather than deception, hypocrisy, or falsehood. People should speak with integrity, meaning what they say and saying what they mean.
Q2. What is “tireless striving” towards perfection?
Ans. “Tireless striving” towards perfection means continuous, unending effort to improve and achieve excellence. It represents the progressive spirit where people constantly work to better themselves, their society, and their nation without becoming complacent or satisfied with mediocrity.
Q3. What is meant by “clear stream of reason”?
Ans. “Clear stream of reason” represents rational, logical thinking that flows smoothly and clearly. It symbolizes the use of intelligence, scientific thinking, and sound judgment to guide decisions and actions, rather than following blindly.
Q4. What are “dreary desert sand of dead habit”?
Ans. “Dreary desert sand of dead habit” represents outdated customs, blind traditions, superstitions, and dogmatic practices that are lifeless and unproductive. Like desert sand, they absorb the clear stream of rational thinking, preventing progress and enlightenment.
Q5. What contrast is presented in this extract?
Ans. This extract contrasts truthfulness versus falsehood, continuous striving versus complacency, and rational thinking versus blind adherence to dead habits. It emphasizes the need for honesty, progressive effort, and reason over stagnation and superstition.
C.
“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.”
Q1.Who is “Thee” in this extract?
Ans. “Thee” refers to God, the divine power. Tagore is praying to God to guide his country toward enlightenment and true freedom. The capitalization shows reverence and acknowledges divine authority.
Q2.What does “ever-widening thought and action” mean?
Ans. “Ever-widening thought and action” means continuously expanding understanding, progressive thinking, and meaningful deeds that grow broader and more inclusive over time. It represents intellectual and practical development that keeps evolving without becoming narrow or stagnant.
Q3. What is the “Heaven of freedom”?
Ans. The “Heaven of freedom” is Tagore’s ideal vision of his country, a state characterized by fearlessness, dignity, free knowledge, unity, truth, continuous improvement, rational thinking, and progressive minds. It represents complete spiritual, intellectual, and social liberation.
Q4. Who is “my Father” and what is the poet asking?
Ans. “My Father” is God, addressed with reverence and intimacy. The poet is earnestly asking God to awaken his country into the ideal state of true freedom he has described, a heaven characterized by all the noble qualities mentioned earlier.
Q5. What is the significance of the word “awake”?
Ans. The word “awake” is highly significant, it suggests India is currently in a state of sleep or unconsciousness (ignorance, oppression, division). Tagore prays for a spiritual, intellectual, and social awakening that will transform the nation into his envisioned heaven of freedom.
D.
“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;”
Q1. How many conditions does Tagore mention for ideal freedom?
Ans. Tagore mentioned seven conditions or qualities that define his vision of ideal freedom: fearlessness with dignity, free knowledge, unity without divisions, truthful speech, tireless striving for perfection, rational thinking, and progressive minds led by God.
Q2. Why does the poet repeat the word “where”?
Ans. The repetition of “Where” creates a powerful anaphora that emphasizes each condition of an ideal nation. It builds rhythm, creates emphasis, and presents each quality as equally important in constructing in the complete vision of freedom.
Q3. What type of freedom is the poet seeking?
Ans. The poet is seeking true,comprehensive freedom not merely political independence from colonial rule, but complete spiritual, and social liberation, irrationality, this includes freedom from fear, ignorance, divisions, falsehood, stagnation and narrow mindedness.
Q4. What makes this poem relevant even today?
Ans. The poem remains relevant because problems like fear, restricted knowledge, social divisions, dishonesty, blind traditions, and narrow thinking still exist today. Tagore’s vision continues inspiring people worldwide toward genuine freedom.
Q5. Who is the intended audience of this prayer?
Ans. The immediate audience is God. However, the broader audience includes all Indians and humanity, as the poem inspires people toward these ideals and awakens them to true freedom.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Q1. Who wrote “Where the Mind is Without Fear”?
A. Mahatma Gandhi
B. Jawaharlal Nehru
C. Rabindranath Tagore
D. Sarojini Naidu
Ans. C. Rabindranath Tagore
Q2. From which collection is this poem taken?
A. The Crescent Moon
B. Gitanjali
C. Sadhana
D. Stray Birds
Ans. B. Gitanjali
Q3. What prize did Tagore win for Gitanjali?
A. Booker Prize
B.Pulitzer Prize
C.Nobel Prize in Literature
D. Sahitya Akademi Award
Ans. C. Nobel Prize in Literature
Q4. In which year did Tagore win the Nobel Prize?
A. 1910
B. 1911
C. 1912
D. 1913
Ans. D. 1913
Q5. To whom is the poem addressed?
A. The British rulers
B. His countrymen
C. God
D. The youth of India
Ans. C. God
Q6. What does “head is held high” represent?
A. Pride and arrogance
B. Dignity and self-respect
C. Physical height
D. Superior intelligence
Ans. B. Dignity and self-respect
Q7. What does “narrow domestic walls” refer to?
A. House boundaries
B. Country borders
C. Divisions of caste, religion, region
D. Privacy barriers
Ans. C. Divisions of caste, religion, region
Q8. What should words come out from?
A. Depth of truth
B. Heart
C. Mind
D. Books
Ans. A. Depth of truth
Q9. What does “tireless striving” aim for?
A. Wealth
B. Power
C. Perfection
D. Fame
Ans. C. Perfection
Q10. What is the “clear stream of reason”?
A. A river
B. Rational thinking
C.Education
D.Flowing water
Ans. B. Rational thinking
Q11. What are “dead habit” compared to?
A. Mountains
B. Ocean
C. Desert sand
D. Forest
Ans. C. Desert sand
Q12. Who should lead the mind forward?
A. Teachers
B. Leaders
C. Parents
D. God (Thee)
Ans. D. God (Thee)
Q13. What does the poet call the ideal state?
A. Paradise
B. Heaven of freedom
C. Utopia
D. Dreamland
Ans. B. Heaven of freedom
Q14. What does the poet want his country to do?
A. Sleep
B. Fight
C. Awake
D. Celebrate
Ans. C. Awake
Q15. How many main conditions does Tagore mention?
A. Five
B. Six
C. Seven
D. Eight
Ans. C. Seven
Q16. What should knowledge be, according to the poem?
A. Expensive
B. Free
C. Secret
D. Limited
Ans. B. Free
Q17. The poem is written in the form of:
A. A story
B. A prayer
C. A dialogue
D. A narrative
Ans. B. A prayer
Q18. When was Rabindranath Tagore born?
A.1858
B.1861
C.1865
D.1870
Ans .B. 1861
Q19. What type of freedom does Tagore seek?
A. Only political freedom
B. Only economic freedom
C. Complete spiritual and intellectual freedom
D. Only religious freedom
Ans. C. Complete spiritual and intellectual freedom
Q20. The phrase “ever-widening thought and action” suggests:
A. Limiting thinking
B. Progressive and expanding minds
C. Narrow vision
D. Restricted movement
Ans. B. Progressive and expanding minds
True or False
State whether the following are true or false-
1. Tagore won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913.
2. The poem is from the collection “The Crescent Moon.”
3. “Narrow domestic walls” refer to house boundaries.
4. The poet addresses God in this poem.
5. Tagore had extensive formal education.
6. “Dead habit” represents progressive thinking.
7. The poem has seven main conditions for ideal freedom.
8. “Heaven of freedom” means only political independence.
9. Tagore wants knowledge to be free for everyone.
10. The poem was originally written in English.
Answers
1. True
2. False
3. False
4. True
5. False
6. False
7. True
8. False
9. True
10. False
Fill in the Blanks-
1. The poem is taken from Tagore’s collection ________.
2. Tagore won the ________ Prize in Literature.
3. “Where the mind is without ________ and the head is held high.”
4. The world should not be broken by narrow ________ walls
5. Words should come out from the depth of ________.
6. Tireless striving stretches its arms towards ________.
7. The clear stream of ________ should not be lost.
8. Dead habits are compared to dreary desert ________.
9. The poet calls the ideal state a ________ of freedom.
10. The poet prays to God saying “let my country ________.”
Answers-
1. Gitanjali
2. Nobel
3. fear
4. domestic
5. truth
6. perfection
7. reason
8. sand
9. Heaven
10. Awake
Extra Questions
Answer the following questions-
Q1. What is the significance of fearlessness in the poem?
Ans. Fearlessness allows people to think independently, express freely, and live with dignity without oppression. It enables self-respect and liberation from tyranny and social persecution.
Q2. Why does Tagore emphasize free knowledge?
Ans. Tagore emphasizes free knowledge because education was restricted to privileged classes. Accessible knowledge for all is essential for progress, empowerment, and breaking ignorance.
Q3. What do “narrow domestic walls” symbolize?
Ans. “Narrow domestic walls” symbolize barriers dividing humanity, caste discrimination, religious conflicts, regional prejudices, and communal hatred. These fragment society and prevent unity and brotherhood.
Q4. How does Tagore view truthfulness in the poem?
Ans. Tagore views truthfulness as essential for healthy society. Speech should be genuine and honest, emerging from “depth of truth” rather than deceit, building trust and integrity.
Q5. What is the importance of “tireless striving”?
Ans. “Tireless striving” represents continuous effort toward improvement and excellence. Nations must constantly work toward perfection without complacency. This progressive spirit drives development and achievement.