Khalil+Gibran



Khalil Gibran was born in Lebanon in 1883. His family moved to the United States in 1895. When he began attending public school in Boston, Khalil's teachers encouraged him to write and introduced him to influential artist Fred Holland Day. Khalil then briefly moved back to Lebanon, going to a prestigious school and winning recognition from his peers and teachers alike for his art talent. When he returned to Boston for college, Khalil was repeatedly struck by tragedy as his sister, brother, and then mother died one after the other.

Khalil first began his career in art with drawing, being exhibited in Boston and studying with famous artists. In 1918 his first book, The Madman, was published in English, in his signature style of philosophical, meditative prose and poetry. He continued to publish books in English until his death in 1931, the most famous and influential of them being The Prophet.

The Prophet is a series of 26 poetic essays; the topics about the common issues of life. The narrative structure follows a prophet named Almustafa who has lived in the city of Orphalese for 12 years and is about to board a ship that will take him home. On the way, he is stopped by the people of the city and has discussions with them.

The Prophet's face, drawn by Gibran



Links The Prophet: http://wikilivres.info/wiki/The_Prophet

The Garden of the Prophet: http://leb.net/~mira/works/garden/garden.html

Other works, in their entirety: http://leb.net/~mira/

Sand and Foam, a series of great poems and aphorisms:http://leb.net/~mira/works/sand/sand.html

His artwork: http://www.inner-growth.info/khalil_gibran_prophet/html/galleries/gallery1/gibran_gallery1_01.htm

How I Became a Madman
You ask me how I became a madman. It happened thus: One day, long before many gods were born, I woke from a deep sleep and found all my masks were stolen -- the seven masks I have fashioned and worn in seven lives -- I ran maskless through the crowded streets shouting, "Thieves, thieves, the cursed thieves." Men and women laughed at me and some ran to their houses in fear of me. And when I reached the market place, a youth standing on a house-top cried, "He is a madman." I looked up to behold him; the sun kissed my own naked face for the first time. For the first time the sun kissed my own naked face and my soul was inflamed with love for the sun, and I wanted my masks no more. And as if in a trance I cried, "Blessed, blessed are the thieves who stole my masks." Thus I became a madman. And I have found both freedom and safety in my madness; the freedom of loneliness and the safety from being understood, for those who understand us enslave something in us. But let me not be too proud of my safety. Even a Thief in a jail is safe from another thief.

Lines 1-7: Gibran sets up a mystical mood with "before many gods were born." Gibran introduces the conflict of stolen masks. The masks are metaphor for the personalities Gibran has put on at various times. Without them, he is angry and vulnerable (Thieves, thieves, the cursed thieves) and the others are scared or mock his true self. (Men and women laughed at me and some ran to their houses in fear ) LInes 8-13: Without his masks, Gibran was called crazy.("He is a madman.") When responding to these accusation, Gibran discovers that there is a freedom in truth. (I looked up to behold him; the sun kissed my own naked face for the first time.) Before, he had hid behind lies but it didn't make him truly happy. He is glad that he is no longer living a lie. Lines 14-19: Gibran is now odd in a different way, because of honesty. Others may be put off by him, but he is comforted by that because "those who understand us enslave something in us." Line 20: