Summary of the Poem 'Where the Mind is Without Fear' – Rabindranath Tagore

 

Where the Mind is Without Fear – Rabindranath Tagore

About the Poet:

          Rabindranath Tagore born on 7^th May 1886, died on 7^th August 1941.  He was a Bengali poet, writer, music composer and painter.  He restructured Bengali literature, music and Indian art.  His mother tongue was Bengali.  His notable works: Gitanjali, Gharae-Baire, Gora, Jana Gana Mana, Rabindra Sangeet and Amar Shonar Bangla.  He was awarded Noble Prize for literature in 1913. 

Summary and Analysis:                                       

          The poem Where the Mind is Without Fear is in sonnet form but has thirteen lines. This poem is taken from the poet’s famous work Gitanjali (1912) collection of Psalms. For this, he has received the Noble Prize in 1913.  He pleads to God to have his people fearless and independent.  It is about the imaginary country the poet wishes to live in.  He has written this poem during British reign. So it describes the dreamy society after the independence of India which the poet wants.  He has written this poem in the view of Indian society but it has a universal appeal.

          In the first line, the poet imagines his society differently.  He wants all of his countryman should live without fear.  They have their heads straight up and face the situation fearlessly.  Poet wants to make sure all the citizen ought to get knowledge. A society should have the Educational institutions where everyone can obtain knowledge.  Knowledge makes people rational and unites them where no other foreign forces can divide.

          “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;”

          India has different classes of people, languages, religions, castes and races but people should unite under one name 'Indian' and they should rise against the common enemy, Britishers.  In India people must be honest with all.  To get personal advantage, no person can lie. The poet asks the almighty to industrialize his country and make his people economically stable.  Free from discrimination, honesty and hard work make the country perfect more than independence.  So the poet wishes the God to bless his people with these qualities. 

          People should be logic in what they do.  They should avoid following the superstitious act which has no reason to follow.  Therefore, Tagore asks God to make people act with reason and cope with new ideologies.

“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.”

God, wake my people from the longest sleep to lead them with your guidance of broad thinking.  Here the longest sleep is colonization and waking up is freedom.  The poet wants his country to be free of colonizers and people to act with their head straight and fearlessly as heaven of freedom.

         

         

Summary of The Diamond Necklace - Guy de Maupassant

 

The Diamond Necklace – Guy de Maupassant

Characters:

Madame Loisel / Matilda: young, charm, greedy.

Monsieur Loisel              : Simple, clerk at Ministry of Education.

Madame Forestier           : Rich, friend of Madame Loisel.

Summary:

          Madame Loisel lived in small house, not well furnished.  Appointed a young girl as maid.  Madame Loisel was not content with what she had.  She wanted to have delicious food like wings of chickens at any time she wants.  She also fonded of  jewelleries.  Since her husband was an ordinary clerk she could not fulfill all her desires. 

One day, Mr. Loisel brought her an invitation of Ministry of Education.  Initially she refused to accept the invitation due to not having fine attires to wear for party.   Mr. Loisel decided to spend his only savings that he had for purchasing a gun.  Still, Madame Loisel was not ready to attend the party because of jewellery.  Then as per her husband’s idea she approached Madame Forestier for the jewel.  Surprisingly, Mme. Loisel got a beautiful diamond necklace.

At the party, everyone attracted to Mme. Loisel, her necklace, her attire, and her charm.  That was the day Mrs. Loisel ever dreamt of.  It was the dream come moment for Mme. Loisel.  Everyone enquired about her whereabouts.  She had spent whole night at the party and returned home at early four.  She realized that she missed her necklace somewhere at the party.  Mr. Loisel went for the search and it was useless.  Mr. Loisel reported the police about missing diamond necklace.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Loisel wrote to Madame Forestier that she had broken the clasp of the diamond necklace, so she could return it back after few days as it went for repairment.  Mr and Mme. Loisel were in search of same diamond necklace at the end they found the look alike of that jewellery at Palais-Royal.  It was estimated at 40,000 francs, finally they paid 36,000 francs for it.  Mr. Loisel spent all the money (18,000 francs) his father left for him and he managed the rest by debt. 

After handover the newly bought diamond necklace Matilda returned home with heavy heart, thinking about the debt that she has to repay.  From that moment her life changed remarkably.  She stopped keeping maid, moved to low rented house, wearing simple clothes, doing all the households herself (got her nails dark), made her husband to do over duty. 

Ten years have passed.  It is completely new Madame Loisel, who had strong heart, messy hair then old clothes.  On the side walk, Mme. Loisel happened to meet Mme. Forestier for the first time since she had returned diamond necklace.  Mme Forestier could recognize her poor friend.  Mme. Loisel introduced herself and explained what she went through after the party. After hearing the poor story of Mme. Loisel, Mme. Forestier revealed that it was not even diamond but imitation.  Mme. Forestier said that not to worry about money and the things that the couple lost.  She also said they had saved thirty six thousand francs in ten years.    

Summary and Analysis of Francis Bacon's Of Studies

Of Studies- Francis Bacon

Summary and Analysis:

          Bacon illustrates the importance of studies. Man advances his position when he learns. Studies serve three purposes:

           i. Happiness

          ii. Ornaments oneself

          iii. Enables a person to handle situation.

          Man becomes lazy, when he has learned all and spends too much time in studying. At some point man judge people based on his knowledge to act accordingly, knowledge leaves him in solitude. Wisdom is hidden inside the people, studies are the tool to enrich and refresh the knowledge. Cunning people have high opinion on studies to take short cuts to acquire knowledge; simple man always admires; when the wise man applies it to lead peaceful life.  Studies make men to understand facts because he should not agree with wrong and argue the right. 

Bacon’s view on books:

            Some books meant for shallow reading, other meant for entertainment, few meant to have complete reading. It teaches values that people lack. Some people need other’s assistance to get an idea of a book.  Assisting to gain knowledge is advisable for the less significant things, one ought to read text rather than moving to summary. The new idea learned by reading must not mislead a person against people. A man must read text with proper understanding which serves the purpose of the author.

Bacon’s view on readers:

                “Reading maketh a full man; conference a

                  ready man; and writing an exact man”.

          Reading makes a man complete. People gain knowledge through reading and apply in life. If people discuss what they have learnt by reading that makes them ready.  Interaction makes the man ready to face the world.  People get new ideas, when they discuss what they have read.  Based on this people write a new idea this makes them exact.  Here the purpose of study is achieved.  People write better, when they have good memory. Some are in need of wit to share the knowledge with others.  Minimal reading makes people ignorant and they remain idle. 

Bacon’s views on different studies:

          History – makes people wise

          Poetry   - makes people humorous.

          Maths   - people learn logical techniques.

         Philosophy- makes people rational and enables to differentiate good and bad.

          Bacon compares physical and mental illness.  Body and mind acts as a main source, both need some workouts.  Bowling practices heals stone, shooting cures issues in breast and lungs, healthy stomach needs walk and head needs ride.  On the other hand, mental illness is cured by different disciplines.  A person who cannot concentrate is advisable to practice mathematics to have focus on things they handle. People who are not able to differentiate good and bad are need to undergo drills of schoolmen to enrich their wittiness. Some struggles in recognising facts to put forth his views to convince others ought to learn law.  Regular practice of law enables them to collect facts and argue in the way to grasp the attention of others. 

          Studies turn people to enjoy life. It enriches people with additional skills like writing, thinking and conferencing. Studies provide an additional glow to everyone’s personality. It helps to create or recreate a concept or idea. It refines personality and speech.

Summary and Analysis of Kamala Das's "A Hot Noon in Malabar

A Hot Noon in Malabar – Kamala Das

About the Poet:

            Kamala Das, born on 31^st March 1934 and died on 31^st May 2009.   She was known by one time pen name, Madhavikutty.  She was an Indian poet in English.  She was popular in Kerala based on her short stories.  She was a poet, novelist, short story writer.   Her notable works were Entekatha (autobiography), My Story, The Descendants.  Her awards: Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, Vayalar Award, Sahitya Academy Award, Asan World Prize, Asian Poetry Prize and Kent Award.

Background of the Poem:

            A Hot Noon in Malabar was a recollection of poet’s childhood.  The poet born and brought up in her paternal grandmother’s home in Malabar, Kerala.  She got married at her early age, settled in Calcutta.  Of course, she missed her grandmother’s house not only that but also Malabar and its people.  The poet described an ordinary day in Malabar, which experienced by the poet herself. 

Summary and Analysis of the Poem:

            The poem had single stanza with twenty three lines.  It described the passersby like beggars, fortune tellers, bangle sellers, Kurava girls and strangers with whom she spent her early summer days.  Kamala Das longed for her early days in Malabar and compared it with her present days in Calcutta.

            That was a hot noon in Malabar, beggars calling out the people for food.  They came along with fortune teller, who had caged parrots and cards.  Brown Kurava girls, were singing a song about their god while reading people’s palms.  These strangers were telling the people’s future using birds, fortune cards and wand.  Then came the bangle sellers, they spread the bangles at the porch’s cool black floor, it was in red, blue and green colour covered with dust.  The poetess heard the strange noise and noticed the cracked heels of bangle sellers.  The dusty bangles and the cracked heels show the struggled life, they round the village everyday to get bangles sold. 

                        “For all of them, whose feet, devouring rough

                          Miles, grow crack on the heels, so that when they

                          Clambered up our porch, the noise was grating”

It was another noon for strangers who walk long way through Malabar.  They looked into the house through the window to find the people.  They could not see anything as they were from bright sunlight.  When they found no one, they directly moved to the brick legged well to quench their thirst.  They had dark eyes, silent who rarely spoke with rigid rough voices.  These strangers would not move with people easily.  They waited for the chances and then mingle with other, which was strange.  

            “Their eyes, dark, silent ones who rarely speak

              At all, so that when they speak, their voices

              Run wild, like jungle-voices.”

A noon for wild men, wild thoughts, wild love.  Yes, it was a noon in Calcutta where the poet lived with her husband.  She enjoyed no people, not thoughts, nor love.  She longed for the hot noon in Malabar, though it was hot and dusty.  For the poetess living away from the Malabar was a torture, she longed for the hot noon in Malabar.  So, she always remembered the hot noon of Malabar.