Written in 1923, Kahlil Gibran’s most popular poetry collection still transcends culture almost a century later. In the past year, the world has undergone many changes, and the pandemic served to undermine our sense of peace and security. A year of loss has warped our perceptions. The Prophet serves as a balm against these turbulent times, and the words of Gibran reach across time to deliver a sense of hope and comfort to the reader.
As one of the most prominent of the mahjar writers, Gibran’s universality is likely what has kept The Prophet so popular across many cultures and time periods. The mahjar writers represented a literary movement created from their experiences as part of the Arab Diaspora. These writers and poets represented a turning point in Arabic literature. A resurgence in Arabic literature turned away from the rigid style of the past and introduced Romanticism. Though The Prophet was written in English, Gibran’s experiences as an Arab-American are reflected in both his poetry and art.
The Prophet focuses on the sayings and wisdom of a prophet called Al-Mustafa. As he is departing the city of Orphalese, people from all walks of life ask him questions on love, freedom, children, justice, and more. His words on the concept of time are especially relevant to our current situation. At the beginning of the pandemic, time seemed to slow down and accelerate with no rhyme or reason; a year without parties or coffee dates or study sessions with friends has been the longest year of my life. Isolation from friends and family further loosened my grip on time. Gibran’s words showed me how time was not meant to be fastened by the hands of men. In a year without seeing my friends, I was reminded that there would be better days ahead; that “in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and the sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.”
Gibran’s genius and universality are the key to The Prophet’s continuing success. While rooted in the experiences of the Arab Diaspora, Gibran’s poetry manages to transcend both time and culture. At the time of writing, the mahjar poets had the challenge of creating works that appealed to an Arab audience that had for so long enjoyed poetry in a more rigid structure. While looking to the past, authors such as Gibran also had to face the future; blending elements of the Romantic era of poetry with centuries-old tradition was no easy feat. Yet, his work remains both popular and relevant in the 21st century. For anyone looking to find hope and beauty in what feels like the longest year of our lives, The Prophet serves as a reminder that this dark period will end, and that
yesterday is but today’s memory and tomorrow is today’s dream.
References:
Muglia, Caroline, and Name. “Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies News.” Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies News Transforming Arabic 20th Century Lebanese Authors in the US Comments, 19 Feb. 2015, lebanesestudies.news.chass.ncsu.edu/2015/02/19/transforming-arabic-20th-century-lebanese-authors-in-the-u-s/.
Reynolds, Dwight. The Cambridge Companion to Modern Arab Culture. Cambridge University Press, 2016.