In the poem "Where the Mind is Without Fear" by Rabindranath Tagore, reason is compared to a clear stream. The clear stream of reason is a metaphor for clarity, movement, and direction. It represents reason in its ideal state, which should be clear, lively, and purposeful. The metaphor implies that reason can lose its way when it faces the challenges of age-old superstitions or dead habits. In the poem, Tagore contrasts reason with dead habit, which is comparable to a dreary desert sand. The poem implies that our actions are governed by both clear, purposeful reasoning symbolized by the stream and by the still, lifeless reasoning symbolized by the desert.