Freedom from fear is the freedom
I claim for you my motherland!
Freedom from the burden of the ages, bending your head,
breaking your back, blinding your eyes to the beckoning
call of the future;
Freedom from the shackles of slumber wherewith
you fasten yourself in night's stillness,
mistrusting the star that speaks of truth's adventurous paths;
freedom from the anarchy of destiny
whole sails are weakly yielded to the blind uncertain winds,
and the helm to a hand ever rigid and cold as death.
Freedom from the insult of dwelling in a puppet's world,
where movements are started through brainless wires,
repeated through mindless habits,
where figures wait with patience and obedience for the
master of show,
to be stirred into a mimicry of life.
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Tagore's poem "Freedom"
From guest straighttalker (contact)
This poem speaks to me of a problem, not only of his motherland India, but all peoples of all times. It's about being locked into the past's way of doing things, afraid to change, afraid to break out of the mould into the light of Truth. We all have this problem, and Tagore has concisely and sublimely summed it up. -
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COMMENTS
From guest ZAINY (contact)
THIS THE POEM WHICH TELLS ABOUT THE PROBLEMS I DIA IS FACIN TODAY
WE HAV TO CHANGE -
Iraq/afghanistan?
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"Freedom from he insult.."
should read:
Freedom from the insult...
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*claps* I'm so happy to see Tagore be the Old poet of the week. I adore his work and this is no exception. I wish you could applaud old poets. Such deep, thoughtful lines. I adore this poem. Excellent stuff.
~CT -
The brilliance of Tagore comes from his deep insight. In the first line, he gives an unusual definition for freedom. He does not say that freedom means power, strength or authority. He defines it as freedom from fear. Thought deeply, one can understand that behind the smallest dearth of freedom, fear lies lurking. This is true not only politically or intellectually, but spiritually as well.
Tagore rejects the submission to destiny, comparing a life without freedom with a mimicry. His ideas show his patriotism, a tremendous intellect and a great understanding of the dynamics of human mind and society. -
This is a fine poem, as for walking through a jungle certain of the course of freedom.
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Well done!
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