Here are some special features of the poem “Where the Mind is Without Fear” to guide you write a critical appreciation —

• The poem is written in free verse with no rhyme or no metrical pattern followed.
• The poem was originally written in Bengali, the poet’s mother tongue. Then he himself translated it into English.
• The poem consists of one single complex sentence, with a number of adverbial clauses starting with ‘where’ and the main clause “Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake” coming at the end.
• The poem is in the form of a prayer to the Almighty.
• The poem expresses the poet’s idea of ideal freedom, his patriotism and the qualities he desires in his countrymen.