BIGOT
The bigot insults his own religion
When he slays a man of another faith.
Conduct the judges, not in the light of reason;
in the temple, he raises the blood-stained banner
And worships the devil in the name of God.
All that is shameful and barbarous through the Ages,
Has found a shelter in their temples—
Those they turn into prisons;
O’ I hear the trumpet call of Destruction!
The time comes with her great broom
Sweeping all refuse away.
That which should make man free,
They turn into fetters;
That which should unite, they turn into a sword;
That which should bring love
From the fountain of the Eternal,
They turn into a prison
And with its waves, they flood the world.
They try to cross the river
In a bark riddled with holes;
And yet, in their anguish, whom do they blame
Oh Lord, breaking false religion,
Save the blind!
Break, 0 break
The altar that is drowned in blood.
Let your thunder strike
Into the prison of false religion,
And bring to this unhappy land
The light of knowledge
– Rabindranath Tagore
Word-Meanings
1.bigot : one who has strong unreasonable beliefs about race, religion and does not tolerate differing creed, belief or opinion 2. barbarous : cruel 3. trumpet : a brass musical instrument; to talk about something publicity 4. fetters : chains 5. eternal : without an end 6. altar : temple 7. stay: to kill 8. refuse: rubbish, something worthless
Questions:
1. Choose the correct option:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
 (a) An appropriate title for the poem can be:
 (i) Religion                (ii) Faith
 (iii) False Religion     (iv) Fetters
(b) Religion should make man…………………… Â
(i) narrow-minded                      (ii) liberal                 (iii) a rogue                 (iv) a fool
(c) The word ‘altar’ means:
 (i) change                                    (ii) finish                    (iii) renew                   (iv) place of worship
(d) Fetters is closest in meaning to:
 (i) installed                                 (ii) tied up                     (iii) captivity               (iv) animals
 (e) What does the poem reveal?
 (i) The happiness of the poet                                          (ii) The anguish of the poet
 (iii) The hatred of the poet                                              (iv) None
 (f) ‘Break, 0 breaks’— the word break has been repeated
 (i) to emphasise the breaking of statutes
 (ii) to stress on freedom from illiteracy
(iii) to emphasise breaking away from evil
(iv) to stress on breaking away from sadness
2. Answer the questions briefly:
 (a) Who is a bigot?
 (b) What does the word ‘Refuse’ refer to?
(c) How does nature set things right?
(d) Who shelters violence through the ages?
 (e) What is meant by the phrase ‘the fountain of the Eternal’?
 (f) What do the followers of false religion do?
Answers:
1. (a) iii              (b) ii           (c) iv           (d) iii            (e) ii           (f) iii
2.(a) A bigot is a human being who is narrow-minded in his religious views.
(b) ‘Refuse’ refers to all the dirt and filth which is in false religions.
(c) Nature sets things right sending some God-incarnate who destroys all evils.
(d) The temples spreading false religion give shelter to violence through the ages.
(e) The phrase stands for God.
(f) The followers of false religion turn religion into prison, fetters and swords to destroy each other.
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