Where the Mind is Without Fear Poem Recitation
Master Rabindranath Tagore's Where the Mind is Without Fear with marked stressed syllables, pauses, and delivery tips for school recitations.
- Runs
- 1:15 · Maintain a steady, measured pace; slow down slightly on the final line for emphasis.
- Lines
- 8 in 3 stanzas
- Spoken
- stressed syllables marked
- The room
- Listen
Respected Principal, teachers, and my dear friends, good morning. Today I shall recite Rabindranath Tagore's inspiring poem, Where the Mind is Without Fear.
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;Where the MIND is without FEAR | and the HEAD is held HIGH;
Where knowledge is free;Where KNOWledge is FREE;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;Where the WORLD has NOT been BROken up into FRAGments | by NARrow doMESic WALLS;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;Where WORDS come OUT | from the DEPTH of TRUTH;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;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 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.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.INto that HEAven of FREEdom, | my FAther, | let my COUNtry aWAKE.
Then: Thank you. Jai Hind.
The words, and a question or two
small, broken pieces of a whole
working continuously without getting exhausted
dull, bleak, and depressing
a settled or regular practice or routine
So the hall hears every line
Worth knowing
- Rabindranath Tagore wrote this poem originally in Bengali as 'Prarthana' in 1900, before translating it into English in 1911.
- The poem was published in 1912 as Poem 35 in 'Gitanjali', the collection that earned Tagore the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.
- Written during British colonial rule, the poem serves as a patriotic prayer for freedom, self-respect, and logical thinking.
- In Indian school assemblies, poem recitation is judged on voice modulation, pronunciation, confidence, and posture.
- Mastering pauses and stressed syllables helps convey the contrast between narrow domestic walls and an ever-widening heaven of freedom.
Where it is sung, and why
Reciting poetry in school is about more than just memorizing lines. It is about sharing a strong message with your audience using your voice, breath, and posture. Rabindranath Tagore wrote this famous poem as a prayer for freedom, self-respect, and clear reasoning. This guide helps you prepare this classic piece for your morning assembly or poetry recitation competition.
Use the marked stresses and pauses below to guide your vocal delivery. Capital letters show you where to place natural vocal emphasis, while vertical lines show you where to pause so the audience can absorb the meaning. Practice reading the lines aloud slowly before building up to a confident performance.
About this piece
- Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was an Indian poet, philosopher, and social reformer.
- He was the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.
- The poem was originally written in Bengali around 1900 under the title 'Prarthana'.
- Tagore translated it into English in 1911, and it was published as Poem 35 in 'Gitanjali' in 1912.
- Written during British colonial rule, it expresses a vision for a nation guided by reason, dignity, and truth.
How it is done
- India: Poem recitations are a regular feature in Indian school assemblies and competitions. Students are judged on voice modulation, confidence, clarity, and how well they convey the poem's core meaning.