SELF AS REFLECTED IN KAHLIL GIBRAN’S FOUR PROSE POETRY: “THE PROPHET”
A THESIS
BY:
SITI LESTARI NAINGGOLAN REG. NO. 090705027
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA
SELF AS REFLECTED IN KAHLIL GIBRAN’S FOUR PROSE POETRY: “THE PROPHET”
A THESIS
BY:
SITI LESTARI NAINGGOLAN REG. NO. 090705027
SUPERVISOR CO-SUPERVISOR
Dra.ReditaLubis, Dip.Appl.Ling.M.Hum Dr. AsmytaSurbakti, M.Si
Submitted to Faculty of Cultural Studies University of Sumatera Utara Medan in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Sarjana from Department of English.
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA
AUTHOR’S DECLARATION
I, SITI LESTARI NAINGGOLAN DECLARE THAT I AM THE SOLE AUTHOR OF THIS THESIS EXCEPT WHERE REFERENCE IS MADE IN THE TEXT OF THIS THESIS. THIS THESIS CONTAINS NO MATERIAL PUBLISHED ELSEWHERE OR EXTRACTED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FROM A THESIS BY WHICH A HAVE QUALIFIED FOR OR AWARDED ANOTHER DEGREE. NO OTHER PERSON’S WORK HAS BEEN USED WITHOUT DUE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS IN THE MAIN TEXT OF THIS THESIS. THIS THESIS HAS NOT BEEN SUBMITTED FOR THE AWARD OF ANOTHER DEGREE IN ANY TERTIARY EDUCATION.
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NAME : SITI LESTARI NAINGGOLAN
TITLE OF THESIS : SELF AS REFLECTED IN KAHLIL GIBRAN’S FOUR PROSE POETRY: “THE PROPHET”
QUALIFICATION : S-1/ SARJANA SASTRA
DEPARTMENT : ENGLISH
I AM WILLING THAT MY THESIS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR REPRODUCTION AT THE DISCRETION OF THE LIBRARIAN OF DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT USERS ARE MADE AWARE OF THEIR OBLIGATION UNDER THE LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Praise and majesty to Almighty Allah SWT for the blessing and guidance that
I can finish my study in Department of English, University of Sumatera Utara and
complete this thesis, entitled “Self As Reflected InKahlil Gibran’s Four Prose Poetry
The Prophet”.
First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisor, Dra. ReditaLubis,
Dip.Appl.Ling.M.Hum and my Co – Supervisor, Dr. AsmytaSurbakti, M.Si for their
attention, contribution and support with all their great patience and understanding to
guide me to finish this thesis. My gratitude is also addressed to all my lecturers in
English Department who have taught me during my college with their love and
patience. I also thank Dr. MuhizarMuchtar, M.S. as the head of English Department,
Dr. Nurlela, M.Hum, as the secretary, for their attention to all my academic affairs,
and Dr. SyahronLubis, M.A., the Dean of Faculty of Cultural Studies, University of
Sumatera Utara and the staffs for their help.
My gratitude is for my great family. I do truly thank my father,
RiswansyahNainggolan, my mother, Sri Maulita, my sister, SitiHasanah and my
brothers, Iqbal and Ibrahim. Thank you for everything. The one I am now is all
because of you. I do truly love you.
My very special thanks are also addressed to my beloved friends;
NazliRamadhani and Siswantia for all your inspirations and my lovely friends;
NurulSyakinah, PratiwiHutapea and Roni A. Simangunsong for all your favors. For
Finally, since there is no perfection in this world, I would be glad for getting
any constructive ideas and suggestions which can improve the quality of my next
writing. I also hope this thesis can be useful as the references for those who have
interest in literature.
Medan, 29 July 2013
Siti Lestari Nainggolan
ABSTRAK
Skripsiiniberjudul ‘Self’ as Reflected in Kahlil Gibran’s Prose Poetry: The
Prophet. Di dalamskripsiiniterdapatanalisismengenai ‘konsepidentitasdiri’ yang
terdapatdalambukuThe Prophet yang ditulisolehKahlil
Gibran.Analisisinibertujuanuntukmenjelaskanbagaimana proses pengembanganjatidirimelaluikonsepbelajar, bicara, pengetahuandiridan rasa sakit.
Dimanafokusutamadalamsetiapkonsepadalahtentangbagaimanakitaberdamaidengandi rikitasendiri.
Adapunmetode yang digunakandalampenulisanskripsiiniadalahmetodeanalisisdeskriptif yang
bertujuanmenggambarkanpandanganKahlil Gibran tentang ‘konsepindentitasdiri’
melaluibeberapatema yang terpilihdalambukuThe
Prophet.Penggambaraninimemuatinterpretasi yang kemudiandianalisisberdasarkan
ABSTRACT
The title of this thesis is ‘Self’ as Reflected in Kahlil Gibran’s Prose Poetry:
The Prophet. In this thesis, there is analysis of ‘concept of self’ which has been written in Kahlil Gibran’s book ‘The Prophet’. This analysis is for explaining how the process of developing self by self-knowledge, talking, teaching, and pain where the main focus is how we must deal with ourselves.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
AUTHOR’S DECLARATION ……… i
COPYRIGHT DECLARATION ……… ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ……… iii
ABSTRAK ……… v
ABSTRACT ……… vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS ……… vii
CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION 1.1Background of Study ……….. 1
1.2Problem of Study ……….. 3
1.3Objective of Study ……….. 3
1.4Scope of Study ……….. 3
1.5Significance of Study ……….. 4
CHAPTER II : REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2.1 Brief Description of Prose Poetry ………..……… 5
2.2 Finding the Meaning ……….. 7
2.3 Devices ……….. 8
2.3.1 Structural Devices……… 8
2.3.2 Sense Devices ……….. 9
CHAPTER III : METHOD OF RESEARCH
3.1 Research Design ……….. 12
3.2 Data Collection ……….. 12
3.3 Data Analysis ……….. 13
CHAPTER IV : ANALYSIS AND FINDING 4.1 On Self Knowledge ……….. 15
4.2 On Talking ……….. 22
4.3 On Teaching ……….. 27
4.4 On Pain ……….. 33
CHAPTER V : CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION 5.1 Conclusion ……….. 37
5.2 Suggestion ……….. 37
REFERENCES APPENDICES
i. Biography of Kahlil Gibran and works
ABSTRAK
Skripsiiniberjudul ‘Self’ as Reflected in Kahlil Gibran’s Prose Poetry: The
Prophet. Di dalamskripsiiniterdapatanalisismengenai ‘konsepidentitasdiri’ yang
terdapatdalambukuThe Prophet yang ditulisolehKahlil
Gibran.Analisisinibertujuanuntukmenjelaskanbagaimana proses pengembanganjatidirimelaluikonsepbelajar, bicara, pengetahuandiridan rasa sakit.
Dimanafokusutamadalamsetiapkonsepadalahtentangbagaimanakitaberdamaidengandi rikitasendiri.
Adapunmetode yang digunakandalampenulisanskripsiiniadalahmetodeanalisisdeskriptif yang
bertujuanmenggambarkanpandanganKahlil Gibran tentang ‘konsepindentitasdiri’
melaluibeberapatema yang terpilihdalambukuThe
Prophet.Penggambaraninimemuatinterpretasi yang kemudiandianalisisberdasarkan
ABSTRACT
The title of this thesis is ‘Self’ as Reflected in Kahlil Gibran’s Prose Poetry:
The Prophet. In this thesis, there is analysis of ‘concept of self’ which has been written in Kahlil Gibran’s book ‘The Prophet’. This analysis is for explaining how the process of developing self by self-knowledge, talking, teaching, and pain where the main focus is how we must deal with ourselves.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Literature was exist in the past, is exist now, and will be exist in the future. If
you hear the word “literature”, what is on your mind? There have been various
attempts to define what literature actually is. Some people say that literature is
imaginative writing. But, anyone who has read a major anthology of literature will
discover that substantial amount of the material in it is not imaginative. One is likely
to find political, historical or scientific writing as poetry, fiction and drama (Castle
2007:6). Writing a literary work can be a good way to express something. It may
experience, feeling, point of view about something or kinds of it. Analyzing a literary
work can be a good way too for getting new idea, information about something or
condition by learning it from its literary story. There are genres in literature, such as
prose, drama and poetry are for making easy the reader in choosing which they like
most. In this case, the writer chooses prose poetry. Delville (1969: 2) in his book
‘American Prose Poem Poetic Form and the Boundaries of Genre’ quotes Martin
Gray’s definition about the prose poetry:
“…Martin Gray’s description of the genre as short work of poetic, resembling a poem because its ornate language and imagery, and because it stands on its own, lacks narrative: like a lyric poem but not subjected to patterning of metre.” Delville (1969: 2)
Prose poetry can be one of the best ways to explore the experience and the
idea of something. When people read it, some people may find that prose poetry is
The only reason why we find it complicated is because all those patterns serve to
concentrate and compress the word into much more meaningful relationship each
other. The writer chooses the prose poem because it is more attractive to take
attention from someone in playing word.
In this thesis the writer wants to analyze Kahlil Gibran’s point of view about
self by analyzing selected prose poem that related on it. Self (Oxford: 2000) is the
type of person you are, especially the way you normally behave. In this thesis, the
writer chooses self-knowledge, talking, teaching and pain that are related to self.
Here is because the way we talk and teach influence our way to think and behave,
meanwhile, self-knowledge and pain are more related to connect us and ourselves.
Kahlil Gibran, as a poet, is one of famous author who is good at arranging
meaningful word. He is Lebanese American artist, poet and the writer. Born in the
town of Bsharri in modern day, as a young man, he immigrated with his family to the
United States where he studied art and began his literary career. His most famous
work is a book entitled “The Prophet”. That book is written as prose poem. News in
BBC, has supported the writer’s idea that the book is prose poem, say in their article
that “the book is made of 26 prose poems, delivered as sermons by a wise man called
Almustafa. His style, which broke away from the classical school, pioneered a new
Romantic movement in Arabic Literature of poetic prose”. (BBC News, 12th May
2012).
The writer chooses Kahlil Gibran because he writes many aspects that
concerning life in his book “The Prophet” by putting his point of view what actually
they are. Everyone has different point of view about something but the writer is
interested to analyze Kahlil Gibran’s point of view because it looks like written in
find out Kahlil Gibran’s point of view about self. Madison says in his article that
Kahlil Gibran is a beautiful writer and one that gets his point across by painting a
picture of life on how one should lead it. In no way does he demand utopianism form
his readers. He simple provides examples and thought on how to approach and live a
more fruitful and less complicated lifestyle. Kahlil Gibran’s prose poem is also
arranged in meaningful lines. For the writer, each of his words is as if saying the
general truth of this world.
To find out the significance of this thesis, the writer uses library research by
having focus on the analysis. A focus is needed to scope the study and limit the
subject itself. The method research used by the writer in this thesis is library research
by collecting all necessary information. The writer uses intrinsic and extrinsic
approach to analyze the prose poetry. Intrinsic approach describe the image that
found in those selected theme and extrinsic approach for relate it on self. The writer
is following several steps; for example reading the total of the book to find the
connection, if available, between each chapter and previous chapter, selecting the
theme from all themes that written in “The Prophet” and analysis the data by finding
its meaning.
1.2Problem of the Study
To restrict the problem of study, this thesis will be guided by this question:
• How is Kahlil Gibran’s point of view about self that reflected in his selected
1.3 Objective of the Study
The objective of this thesis is to answer the problem of the study to
understand Kahlil Gibran’s point of view about self that reflected in his selected
prose poetry.
1.4 Scope of the Study
In order to limit the discussing matter, this thesis concentrates on prose poetry
that has the theme which has most connection with self and the aspects that influence
process of developing manner of self. The writer focuses on meaning of the prose
poetry that are related on self out of its structural and sound devices itself.
1.5 Significance of the Study
In order to make useful research, the writer describes the significances of this
analysis theoretically and practically. Theoretically, this research is to enrich the
literary work. Practically, this thesis can be reference for the other persons that are
interested in this topic, to introduce about prose poetry briefly, to find out Kahlil
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Brief Description of the Prose Poetry
There are many books and journals write the history of the prose poetry, its
characteristic, its genre, and some information about it. But, in this case, the writer
has concluded some necessary idea about the prose poetry. For introduce the prose
poetry, the writer chooses what OtaredHaidar (2008) says that though modern
literary theorists seem to agree upon considering the prose poem as a genre in itself,
working toward defining it an drawing its boundaries is still ongoing. The main
difficulty comes from dual nature of this genre which is represented by its very
name. In attempting to define the prose poem, a myriad of similar definitions that are
only as elusive as the genre itself have produced by critics and poets.
Despite the exhaustive search for a definition, critics still give what seem
more like anti-definitions in their attempts to solve the mystery of the prose poem
and to establish a definition for it. These statements seem to add the ambiguity of the
genre. However, these anti-definitions are widely quoted and referred to by critics to
underline the difficulties and challenges of studying the prose poem and of providing
methods and approaches to deal with it. In their introduction, critics who write about
the prose poem struggle with terms and definitions while attempting to introduce
their subject to the readers in few plain words. The most comprehensive introductory
account that tackles the subject and tries to define it is provided by Suzanne Bernard
in her pioneering work about the prose poem. In her massive work, she includes
scores of description, all of which could help in defining the genre. Nonetheless, she
introduction, she quotes and endorses Morris Chaplin’s definition: ‘A genre of which
no theorist has dared to declare rules’. The other definitions in her book deal with the
features and characteristic of the prose poem. In her introduction, she provided her
own definition of the genre describing it as being: ‘A rebellion against all types of
formal tyranny, which prevent the poet from creating a private language for himself,
and force him to put the flexible substance of his phrases into ready-made moulds.’
Monte (2000) also writes in his book ‘Invisible Fences Prose Poetry as a
Genre in French and American Literature’ (2-8) that the most foolproof definition of
prose poetry, “poetry written in prose,” sounds uncomfortably. The next best
approach throws the question “What is prose poetry?” back at the questioner—“You
tell me what ‘prose’ is and what ‘poetry’ is, and I will tell you what ‘prose poetry’
is”—to make the point that the two terms that constitute “prose poetry” are
themselves difficult to define unambiguously. Recalling that prose poetry is or was
once an oxymoron takes us in yet another direction: “prose poetry” is an abstraction
meant to question generic boundaries and accordingly resists definition. But none of
these approaches helps us much in recognizing a prose poem we might come across
in our literary wandering, let alone help us read one. Maybe we are starting off too
abstractly. While many critics attempt to define the external and internal factors that
help determine the form of the prose poem, they do so almost universally in the
context of prose poetry’s revolutionary or subversive impulse. It is as if one only
bothers defining the prose poem’s constraints in order to show more effectively how
it violates them. I do not deny prose poetry revolutionary potential, but I am anti
essentialist when it comes to questions of form or genre: the fact that a poem is
written in prose does not necessarily mean it is subversive. To be sure, no one ever
2.2 Finding the Meaning
After reading some definitions of prose poetry and seeing the prose poetry that
want to be analyzed also has quality as poetry, the writer has chosen L.G
Alexander’s theory to be used in analyzing the prose poetry. For finding its meaning,
L.G Alexander (1963) has made it specific by:
1) General Meaning
This should be expressed simply in one, or at the most two sentences. It should
be based on a reading of the whole poem. Very often, but not always, a poem’s title
will give you some indication of its general meaning.
2) Detailed Meaning
Detailed meaning should be given stanza by stanza, but this should not
paraphrase the poem or worry about the meaning of individual words. The detailed
meaning may be written as continuous paragraph, but you must take every care to be
accurate and to express yourself in simple sentences. Similarly people must pay
special attention to the prose style by showing how the poet begins, how he develops
his theme and then how he should make some rough attempt in your reading to
divide the lines into fairly self-contained groups.
3) Intention
Every poet conveys an experience or attempt to arouse certain feelings in the
reader. When you have read a poem and given its general and detailed meaning, you
should try to decide what feelings the poet is trying to arouse in you. A poem may
affect different people in a great variety of ways and it is often impossible to define a
poet’s ‘true’ intention. Your interpretation of a poet’s aims is, therefore, largely a
most important to explain what you have understood a poet’s purpose to be. Just as it
is impossible to give the meaning of the poem if you have read it carefully, it is
impossible to appreciate the poem if you are unable to define the poet’s intention.
Finding meanings of a poem and intentions of the writer are simply the means.
2.3 Devices
L.G Alexander (1963) says that it’s hard to define exactly what a poem is and
to state why it gives us pleasure. Every poem is unique and has special qualities of its
own so if we want to appreciate poetry, it is necessary to learn how to recognize
these ‘special qualities’ which called devices and can be found when we analyze a
poem. Devices may be divided into three groups: structural, sense and sound devices.
When writing an appreciation of poetry, it is not enough to be able to point out the
devices. You must always explain that effect they have and how they help the poet to
fulfill his attention.
2.3.1 Structural Devices
Contrast, illustration, repetition: these indicate the way a whole poem has been
built and become as soon as the meaning of the poem has been found.
1) Contrast
This is one of the most common of all structures devices. It occurs when we find
two completely opposite pictures side by side. Sometimes the contrast is immediately
obvious and sometimes implied.
2) Illustration
This is example which usually takes the form o a vivid picture by which a poet
3) Repetition
Poets often repeat single line or whole stanzas at intervals to emphasize a
particular idea. Repetition is to be found in poetry which is aiming at a special effect
or when a poet wants us to pay very close attention to something.
2.3.1 Sense Devices
Sense devices divide into three:
1) Simile
This is a direct comparison and can be recognized by the use of the words like
and as.
2) Metaphor
This is rather like a simile except that the comparison is not direct but implied:
the words like and as are not used. The poet does not say that one object is like
another; he says it is another. In the poem Lucy, Wordsworth does not say that the
girl was like a violet. He writes:
A violet by mossy stone
Half hidden from the eye.
Lucy, in these lines, is a violet. The metaphor vividly expresses the basic idea of
the poem; it represents a girl of rare beauty who ‘lived unknown’. A violet half
hidden by a stone is similarly something rare and beautiful which, for most people,
‘live unknown’.
This occurs when inanimate objects are given a human form, or when they are
made to speak. For example, we can find personification in On his Eighty-Sixth
Birthday. The world ‘speaks’ these words:
Many have loved me desperately
Many with smooth serenity
While some nave shown contempt of me
Till they dropped underground
By means of personification here the poet underlines the close relationship
that existed between himself and the world.
2.3.1 Sound Devices
Sound devices can be considered as musical quality of a poem when it is read
aloud. For analyzing sound devices, we can divide them being:
1) Alliteration : The repetition of the same sound at frequent intervals.
2) Onomatopoeia : Imitates sounds and thus suggest the object described.
3) Rhyme : Occurs at the end of a poetic line.
4) Assonance : The repeating of stressed vowel sound.
In this thesis, the writer will analyze each detailed meaning and general meaning
to find out its intention by analyzing its structural and sense devices. Yet, the writer
CHAPTER III
METHOD OF THE STUDY
3.1 Research Design
To make scientific research, research method is needed. The method used in
this research is library research. Library research is by collecting all necessary data
which is collected from books, reports, journals, etc. The writer also uses intrinsic
and extrinsic approach. The extrinsic approach is based on the text itself to find out
the meaning of the prose poetry, while extrinsic approach is for relate the meaning of
the prose poetry and the self. Those methods will be applied for analyzing and
interpreting the meaning of those selected theme in Kahlil Gibran’s book “The
Prophet”
3.2 Data Collection
Based on the research, there are two kinds of sources data which is used to
analyzing the prose poem. The first one is known as primary source data, which is
also known as main data. The primary source data is the prose poetry itself. The
second one is known as secondary source data such as the books, articles, journals,
and any opinion from previous critical comment. Those things should be related with
the main idea of the prose poetry to help the writer writes and analyzes the data.
Here are some steps which are used in this thesis:
a. Select topic, because writer analyzes the prose poetry by choosing the theme
that having most connectivity to analyze concept of self based on the writer’s
b. Focus Question, to limit the topic of the prose poetry in discussing and
focusing on the topic trough question and developing possibility in theories
and answer.
c. Collect data, collecting the data based on the method which is used in method
research. The main data of this thesis are the text of Kahlil Gibran’s prose
poetry that is written in his book “The Prophet”. The central themes of this
thesis is about self that analyzed trough these topics:
1) On Self Knowledge
2) On Talking
3) On Teaching
4) On Pain
3.3 Data Analysis
For analysis and interpret the data, the writer analyzes the data which has
been selected. The data is analyzed in order to get the understanding of the Prose
Poetry. The writer consults to L.G Alexander’s theory of poetry because the prose
poetry is analyzed by using qualities of poetry. The writer also consults to dictionary
which can tell how a word’s definition and usage by determine how a word being
used to find its appropriate meaning and being equally sensitive to the implications
CHAPTER IV
FINDING AND ANALYSIS
“The Prophet” is collection of prose poetry with a narrative style opening by
introducing the main scene of the story and the main character written by Kahlil
Gibran. In this book, the opening and description of Almustafa described in the first
prose poetry entitled “The Coming of the Ship”. Here, Almustafa, as the main
character, is described as a narrator that leading each prose poetry by his narrative
point of view about the theme that concerning to life in general. Yet, the writer has
chosen the theme that related about the self where the main idea is how we must deal
with our self. Here is how Gibran describes the image of Almustafa:
“Almustafa, the chosen and the beloved, who was a dawn unto his own day, had waited twelve years in the city of Orphalese for his ship that was to return and bear him back to the isle of his birth.”
From the quote above, there is image that Almustafa is a traveller. In general,
travelling by seeing the entire world makes people have more experiences because
they have been seeing new place, new condition, new people, new culture and new
atmosphere. Travelling gives people more complete perspective of the how the world
works. When someone has seen two or many concepts about the same things, they
will get better solution by combining many aspects and take the best of it. Experience
of travelling makes people know the wisdom of entire world, the different concepts,
problems and solutions of those problems. That’s what makes the personality is
blander and makes people wiser.
Almustafa is described as a wise person. Asking to a wise person is one of
best solution for finding the truth and the wisdom. Selected prose poetry in this thesis
God”. Each questioner asks something to Almustafa and he answers their question.
So, in the second line of each prose poetry is written “And he answered:” or “And he
said” which ‘he’ represent Almustafa. It has been introduced in first chapter of this
book “The Coming of the Ship” that the people ask him to give them his truth about
things between birth and death.
“Yet this we ask ere you leave us, that you speak to us and give us of your truth….Now therefore disclose us to ourselves, and tell us all that has been shown you of that which is between birth and death.
And he answered: People of Orphalese, of what can I speak save of that which is even now moving within your souls?”
Having chosen selected prose poetry to be analyzed that have relation on self
and its developing process, the writer chooses the prose poetry entitled On Self
Knowledge, On Talking, On Teaching and On Pain:
4.1 On Self Knowledge
The first prose poem to be analyzed entitled ‘On Self Knowledge’:
On Self –Knowledge
And a man said, "Speak to us of Self-Knowledge." (Line 1)
And he answered, saying: (Line 2)
Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights. (Line 3)
But your ears thirst for the sound of your heart's knowledge. (Line 4)
You would know in words that which you have always known in thought. (Line 5)
You would touch with your fingers the naked body of your dreams. (Line 6)
And it is well you should. (Line 7)
The hidden well-spring of your soul must needs rise and run murmuring to the sea; (Line 8) And the treasure of your infinite depths would be revealed to your eyes. (Line 9)
But let there be no scales to weigh your unknown treasure; (Line 10)
And seek not the depths of your knowledge with staff or sounding line. (Line 11)
For self is a sea boundless and measureless. (Line 12)
Say not, "I have found the truth," but rather, "I have found a truth." (Line 13) Say not, "I have found the path of the soul." Say rather, "I have met the soul walking
upon my path." (Line 14)
For the soul walks upon all paths. (Line 15)
The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed. (Line 16)
And a man said, "Speak to us of Self-Knowledge." (Line 1)
And he answered, saying: (Line 2)
The symbol ‘man’ is very general symbol to tell animate thing. It tells human
being in general. If a man asks about self knowledge, it means general human want
to know about self knowledge. The message of this line is that every human need self
knowledge.
Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights. (Line 3)
Secret is something that can’t be told by someone to another one. Secret is
kept from view of other. The days and the nights represent the exchange of period of
time in this life because life is process of replacement the days and the night. It may
such as day and night, light and dark, or true and false. It means the words “days and
nights” mean the time of this world. The secret of the days and the nights may mean
secret of life. Yet, those all only known by the heart. It means people, in this line,
will not know the secret of life if they do not ask it to their heart because the heart is
only silent. So the conclusion is the heart will not tell secret of the life as long people
do not ask their heart because if a heart know something, it doesn’t mean the owner
of the heart know it, too.
But your ears thirst for the sound of your heart's knowledge. (Line 4)
Actually, this is contrast from previous line. Ear is used for hearing
something; to hear a sound from someone or something. But the word ‘thirst’ means
negative which explain that the ear isn’t hear sound of your heart’s knowledge
enough. Heart (Oxford: 2000) is part of the body where feelings and emotions are
thought to be, especially those connected with love. Usually, the knowledge of the
your heart because heart will never lie to you. Powerfully, the word ‘knowledge’
supports the function of the heart itself because heart and knowledge will tell wisely.
You would know in words that which you have always known in thought.
(Line 5)
The fifth line is written in two sentences. Grammatically, the first sentence is
using modal in past tense ‘you would know’ but the second sentence is written in
simple present so the word ‘would’ is written as expectation form. Gibran expects
that all we know in thought, also we know in words. But expectation is something we
have not got yet. It means that all we know in thought haven’t known in word. It may
mean we can’t say everything in our thought in words because although sometimes
what we thought may be able to be represented by words but there may some
‘feeling’ missed. It’s because those stuff in thought is deeper than in words.
You would touch with your fingers the naked body of your dreams. (Line 6)
And it is well you should. (Line 7)
Naked body is the symbol of purity self. The naked body is who you are
without something hidden. The naked body is very natural to say finding the identity.
Naked body of your dream means the one whom you want to be which you can’t
express due to something. Gibran says ‘You would touch’ as suggestion to touch of
true self which mean people should set themselves free and find their original
identity. The word ‘with your finger’ means that the one that can make people find
their true self is themselves by their hand. None can make people find their ‘self’ if
they can’t find it by themselves. That’s because nothing will change about people if
should’ is written as suggestion and expectation of Gibran that people must find their
true self.
The hidden well-spring of your soul must needs rise and run murmuring to
the sea; (Line 8)
Spring is symbol of young age, new life, and knowledge but in this line, the
spring is hidden by something. The hidden well-spring is the spring that should be
exist in the soul well. In dictionary, soul is person’s inner character containing their
true though and feeling. The word ‘true though and feeling’ as if saying that without
the true though and true feeling, the soul isn’t totally the soul. Gibran says that
hidden spring of soul means that the true though and feeling must need rise, it
because our thought isn’t always based on true knowledge or wisdom. If we can find
out our true thought and feeling, it should be something great because mostly thought
and feeling is totally control our act. While the word ‘sea’ is symbol of the life and
its dynamic so ‘run murmuring to the sea’ may an advice that if we want to face
the life and problem in it, we should use our true knowledge and feeling. We can’t
face it if we are blind of it.
And the treasure of your infinite depths would be revealed to your eyes.
(Line 9)
Treasure is something extremely valuable for us but treasure for someone
maybe different with the other. For self, treasure can be mind, intelligence, wisdom
or love. If treasure is infinite, it means that the person is so rich in concept of self.
Gibran says that the treasure itself would be revealed to your eyes may mean that we
you depend on your way respect yourself. So we should reveal it by showing how we
respect ourselves by our own manner.
But let there be no scales to weigh your unknown treasure; (Line 10)
No scale means there is no proper price for your self-treasure. There is no
standard about how valuable the self is. But, Gibran says ‘unknown treasure’ because
people haven’t known about their values. They haven’t known the value of their
mind, intelligence or wisdom of their innate self because they focus on other’s values
till they forget to value themselves.
And seek not the depths of your knowledge with staff or sounding line.
(Line 11)
The word ‘sounding line’ may mean the point of view or the right thing for
general. We mostly see something is only based on our point of view. If something is
not same with what our point of view say, we say it’s wrong. So Gibran says to not
seek knowledge with staff or sounding line because there are always possibilities that
what we not think true is the truest knowledge.
For self is a sea boundless and measureless. (Line 12)
Self (Oxford: 2000) is the type of person you are, especially the way you
normally behave. Self means personal individual; a person’s personality or character
that makes them different from other people. Gibran says that self is something
boundless and measureless. It means human’s capability isn’t limited. Ironically, we
often judge ourselves and determine our personal standard. When we find something
new to do, we quite often say that we can’t do it even before we try to do it. We are
those make us underestimate ourselves. If we judge someone, it also means we judge
ourselves. Why we have to limit treasure of ourselves, if it’s unlimited?
Say not, "I have found the truth," but rather, "I have found a truth." (Line 13)
The difference between “I have found the truth” and “I have found a truth” is
the article ‘a’ and ‘the.’ The article ‘the’ is more specific. It’s used to referring
something that has been already mentioned or is easily understood. Meanwhile, the
article ‘a’ is used before uncountable nouns referring to people or things that have
not mentioned. The article ‘a’ can be for something infinite. Truth itself is true fact
about something rather than the things that have been invented or guessed. The word
“I have found the truth” means that the truth itself already knows which truth is it, so
it makes the truth being specific. It’s as if saying ‘this is the truth and no more other
truth’. But “I have found a truth” means that the truth is general. It can be any truth.
The truth still can be seen by many ways. It’s better to say ‘I have found a truth’ than
‘I have found the truth’ because when we have specific truth or the standard of truth,
we cannot see the other truth.
Say not, "I have found the path of the soul." Say rather, "I have met the soul
walking upon my path." (Line 14)
The word ‘I have found the part of my soul’ emphasize on the path. If you
only have part of the soul, it means you haven’t found the soul completely. You only
know the soul in your way. But ‘I have met the soul walking upon my path’
emphasizes on the soul itself which means you have met the soul in your path. So, no
matter which path you take, the soul is always belong to you in your way.
“For the soul walks upon all paths” is in one line with previous line which
saying ‘I have met the soul walking upon my path’ for that the soul should be exists
in every way we take. This is because people will do better if they do something by
using their soul. There are senses to do the best and self-pleasure if we love what we
do.
The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed. (Line 16)
This line tells that the soul isn’t a line which means that the soul isn’t only
seen by one way. People may see the straight way to their focus but it doesn’t mean
that that way is the only way. When people see something straight, they can’t see the
side ways and another way that not in one line with their way. Gibran also says it
doesn’t like a reed because reed doesn’t need much treatment to grow up but soul
does.
The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals. (Line 17)
Lotus is beautiful muddy flower that grow in muddy water. Yet, although
lotus lives in muddy water, the lotus can keep clean. It’s like self cleaning
phenomenon where lotus keeps shining without being dirty, no matter how dirty the
water itself. It symbolizes as the law of cause and effect of it in our lives. This
philosophy is also related to human. Human should be like the lotus. The muddy
water is like the environment which identical with pain, stress, problem and such a
gloomy condition. But human shouldn’t be affected by those all that come into their
life. Respecting themselves and staying with their mind will make them gain access
to the true self-knowledge.
In conclusion, Gibran emphasizes the self-knowledge where the point is on
word supports each other meaning. Gibran keeps saying something about the soul
and the path for making people aware that they have to have their soul in their way
because basically self is boundless and measureless.
4. 2 On Talking
The second prose poem to be analyzed entitled ‘On Talking’:
On Talking
And then a scholar said, "Speak of Talking." (Line 1)
And he answered, saying: (Line 2)
You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts; (Line 3)
And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart you live in your lips,
and sound is a diversion and a pastime. (Line 4)
And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered. (Line 5)
For thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words may indeed unfold its wings
but cannot fly. (Line 6)
There are those among you who seek the talkative through fear of being alone. (Line 7) The silence of aloneness reveals to their eyes their naked selves and they would
escape. (Line 8)
And there are those who talk, and without knowledge or forethought reveal a truth
which they themselves do not understand. (Line 9)
And there are those who have the truth within them, but they tell it not in words. (Line 10)
In the bosom of such as these the spirit dwells in rhythmic silence. (Line 11)
When you meet your friend on the roadside or in the market-place, let the spirit in
you move your lips and direct your tongue. (Line 12)
Let the voice within your voice speak to the ear of his ear; (Line 13)
For his soul will keep the truth of your heart as the taste of the wine is remembered. (Line 13)
When the colour is forgotten and the vessel is no more. (Line 14)
Talking is our daily activity. We talk to ourselves, talk to others, and talk to
inanimate thing. Our way on talking is as reflection of our thought and personality.
Here is how Gibran introduces about talking:
And then a scholar said, "Speak of Talking." (Line 1)
Scholar is symbol of well educated people. Scholar is a person who knows a
lot about particular subject because they have studied it in detail. Mostly, a scholar
should have ability to speak because the school’s systems ask the scholar to keep
speaking about his knowing. Scholar, as image of smart person to talk, asks about
talking would be peculiar for ordinary people. But, in this line, Gibran makes it for
supporting his idea about talking.
You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts; (Line 3)
Human should be in peace with their thought because human’s personality is
controlled by their though. But in this line, Gibran says, in a direct way, the opposite
side of talking with peace of thought. Gibran says that we are talking when we can’t
be longer being peace with thought although thought is result of thinking process.
This line is as if saying that people talk to run out of their mind.
And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart you
live in your lips, and sound is a diversion and a pastime. (Line 4)
Solitude of the heart is the peace itself. People are often able to hear what
they heart say. When people can’t be longer talking with himself or asking his heart
what to do, it seems like they are having self crisis respect. Gibran says the word
‘you live in your lips’ after the process of dwell solitude heart means that when
people can’t being one with himself, he change his way being dwell with other
people by talking process. Gibran says that sound is diversion and pastime may
because they do it as diversion of their failure being peace with the heart and pastime
is like hobby. It means making a sound or talking is already being a hobby for people
And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered. (Line 5)
Usually people talk as process to attract someone to talk or response to
someone else. But, in this line, Gibran says that when we talk too much, thinking is
half murdered. For the proof, we always stop talking when we think something
seriously. Moreover, there is a study conducted by the National Center for
Neurogenic Communication Disorders and Department of Speech and Hearing
Sciences, The University of Arizona (Tucson, USA) has revealed that excessive
talkativeness could lead to dizziness, lightheadedness, loss of concentration,
emotional instability, muscular tension, abnormal posture and other negative effects.
“Therefore, it is normal that long speeches, conversations and excessive talkativeness often lead to light-headedness, loss of concentration, emotional instability, cold feet and hands, muscular tension, abnormal posture and other negative effects due to low O2 and CO2 levels in the brain. Deliberate deep breathing or hyperventilation causes the same effects, the researchers concluded.”
For thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words may indeed
unfold its wings but cannot fly. (Line 6)
In this line, Gibran makes the analogy thought is a bird of space in the cage.
Bird is animal that can fly up. Flying in the space may represent that thought can see
everything down from the space. Essentially, he is stating that human brain acts is
like a cage. The words that cage the thought may because what we can say in words
is limited. The bird represents our innate thoughts, the cage represent our mind. He
suggests that people must learn to set themselves free from their minds.
There are those among you who seek the talkative through fear of
This is tragic comedy for telling the reason why people are being talkative. In
this line, Gibran says that the reason why people being talkative because they are
afraid of being alone. This is logical statement. People are being talkative to attract
attention from other people around them. When someone talks to others, it is
common respond to reply his talking. This process makes people have someone to
talk and not be alone. This supports line 3 which saying “You talk when you cease to
be at peace with your thoughts” as if saying that they are who seek talkative is cannot
be longer with their thought.
The silence of aloneness reveals to their eyes their naked selves and
they would escape. (Line 8)
This is the next step of talking process due to afraid of being alone. ‘Naked
selves’ can be positive or negative meaning depends on the context of situation. It is
symbol of whom people actually are because ‘naked selves’ means there is nothing
that makes the self hidden. In this case, the ‘naked body’ represents the original
manner of people before they get their own identity. If they would escape from their
‘naked selves’, it means they are afraid to know who actually they are and to run out
from their thought.
And there are those who talk, and without knowledge or forethought
reveal a truth which they themselves do not understand. (Line 9)
This is ironic line but may be a general truth. There are people who talk to
others but they do not actually know what they are talking about. People keep saying
something although they themselves do not know about it. It may have been a style
where people want to look like an intelligent person by saying something in high
people think they say the truth although they are far of the truth. They think they
reveal the truth with them but they only know the truth based on their side.
And there are those who have the truth within them, but they tell it not
in words. (Line 10)
In the bosom of such as these the spirit dwells in rhythmic silence.
(Line11)
The subject ‘them’ in this line is in the opposite side of the subject from
previous line because the subject in this line has known about the truth. They keep
the truth with them but they don’t say the truth by saying it. They may have another
way to say the truth. It may by action such as, if people want to get respect, they
should respect other people first. Sometimes, a person’s action will tell everything
we need to know. This can be more effective because sometimes people don’t
believe the words itself because saying something is easily to do but practicing
something shows that people have seriousness for doing it. It may mean that they
keep the truth for themselves such as rhythmic silence for making people finding out
the truth based own their own truth.
When you meet your friend on the roadside or in the market-place, let
the spirit in you move your lips and direct your tongue. (Line 12)
Let the voice within your voice speak to the ear of his ear; (Line 13)
This line tells the humanity habit where people keep saying hello anytime
they meet their friend especially the friend they have not met for long time. People
looks like automatically accost each other. Gibran says it as spirit, by this word ‘let
the spirit in you move your lips and direct your tongue’, which can make your mouth
open for saying something or accost other one. The sound we produce will be hearing
For his soul will keep the truth of your heart as the taste of the wine is
remembered. (Line 14)
When the colour is forgotten and the vessel is no more. (Line 15)
Wine is alcoholic drink. It has been such a life style for having wine for
party, when having problem or serving to other people. People can be addicted of
wine. In this line, Gibran uses it as the symbol for people who keep the truth of the
heart in soul. When heart, soul and truth are in one combination, people are usually
wise to find the right thing to do. Especially, it’s as the taste of the wine
remembered. It means people that have been dealing with his soul keep asking their
heart to find the truth anytime they want to do something or anytime they need self
answer. It may like an addicting activity to keep asking self first. Gibran also says
‘color is forgotten and vessel no more’. Color is related to skin color and vessel is
related by what they are. It means that for keeping the truth of the heart, people need
to be free of the diversity of religion, color skin, land boundaries, identity and kind
of things that can make people judging someone blindly.
The image of talking is described well in this prose poem. Gibran has given
image of talking by starting why we keep talking, the effect of talking where has
been supported by scientific research, and how should we do if we want to talk about
someone or something. There is perspective in society that our talking represents our
personality so by wisely talking, it can make us wisely respect the self.
4.3 On Teaching
The third prose poem to be analyzed entitled ‘On Teaching’:
Teaching
Then said a teacher, "Speak to us of Teaching." (Line 1)
No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the
dawning of your knowledge. (Line 3)
The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not
of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness. (Line 4)
If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather
leads you to the threshold of your own mind. (Line 5)
The astronomer may speak to you of his understanding of space, but he cannot give
you his understanding. (Line 6)
The musician may sing to you of the rhythm which is in all space, but he cannot give
you the ear which arrests the rhythm, nor the voice that echoes it. (Line 7)
And he who is versed in the science of numbers can tell of the regions of weight and
measure, but he cannot conduct you thither. (Line 8)
For the vision of one man lends not its wings to another man. (Line 9)
And even as each one of you stands alone in God's knowledge, so must each one of you be alone in his knowledge of God and in his understanding of the earth.
(Line 10)
Pattern of this prose poem is written as sentences. It’s a combination of two
sentences and has a format as antithetical writing where the first sentences and the
second sentences, in a line, are written as contrast. Here is how Gibran starts the line
of this prose poem:
Then said a teacher, "Speak to us of Teaching." (Line 1)
And he said: (Line 2)
In this prose poetry, Gibran uses the symbol ‘teacher’ for asking what is
teaching. Mostly, the one who have known well about teaching is teacher. But here,
the teacher asks what actually teaching itself. Symbol of teacher here is a deep
symbol because if a teacher who is well known for his ability in teaching asks what
is teaching, it means there is something hidden of teaching which haven’t known by
teacher.
No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep
in the dawning of your knowledge. (Line 3)
To introduce about teaching, Gibran says about teaching in one meaningful
in your half sleep knowledge. The word ‘lies half sleep’ means that all we know isn’t
totally we know. We only know the part which is not slept in our knowledge. The
word ‘dawn’ means the time of process when the light first appears which means that
we should learn from basic like process from dawning of the day until the dark.
Gibran says that there is no one able to reveal you something because if we don’t
know anything about it, we won’t even think about it. If people want to know
something, the first thing people should do is waking up their knowledge because
sleeping knowledge means nothing. No matter how many people tell us about
something, if we don’t mention it, it could be useless.
The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his
followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his
lovingness. (Line 4)
Teacher (Oxford: 2000) is the person who teaches something to someone by
giving lesson or knowledge. In this line, the teacher walks in the shadow of temple.
Temple is being used in worship to the God, especially in Hindu and Buddhist
religions. It has being general agreement that God knows everything. In temple, there
is a symbol such as elephant that representing a wisdom. If a teacher walks in the
shadow of temple, he’ll always practice his wisdom as the symbol of temple itself.
But in this line, Gibran says that the teacher can’t give the wisdom to his follower, he
is only able to give his faith and lovingness. It’s because wisdom is relative; someone
seems wise to some people but may not seem wise to the others. When a teacher
gives his wisdom, it’ll not be working at all. It’s better to tell his followers his faith
because the followers will learn the wisdom itself by their faith and to tell his
ways to tell someone about something, to teach someone about faith, and to give
them wisdom is by giving sample by ourselves.
If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom,
but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind. (Line 5)
In this line, ‘he’ refers to the teacher in previous line. Gibran tells about the
teacher twice in different level. The first, in previous line, the teacher walks in
shadow of temple. And the second, Gibran adds the clarification as the wise teacher
or a sage. It means there is possibility that some teachers aren’t wise. In the second
level, if the teacher is really wise or a sage, he will not bid you enter the house of
wisdom. Wisdom itself (Oxford: 2000) is the ability to make sensible decision and
give good advice because of the experience and knowledge that you have. Everyone
has different experience and level of knowledge; it means there is different wisdom
for each person so leading someone to find wisdom by their own mind is the best
way to teach about wisdom. They will find wisdom by themselves and take it for
them long live.
The astronomer may speak to you of his understanding of space, but
he cannot give you his understanding. (Line 6)
Astronomy is the scientific study of stars and the astronomer is the person
who learns astronomy. He may go out of this earth to learn about the start and other
planet. Someone may learn all subjects in the earth but astronomer learns something
out of the earth. The words ‘astronomer may speak to you of his understanding of
space’ means that the astronomer can talk about what he has known about the space
itself but the words ‘but he cannot give you his understanding’ is being contrast. It
space, people still can’t understand what he says about his understanding. That may
because when someone tell something to us, our imagination may being different
with what he is actually talking about. Imagination and level intelligence of someone
give different understanding of a subject.
The musician may sing to you of the rhythm which is in all space, but
he cannot give you the ear which arrests the rhythm, nor the voice
that echoes it. (Line 7)
Everyone knows music but musician is someone who skilled in playing
music. Music is sound that arranged in a way that is pleasant or exiting to hear.
Music has many functions as a way to get peace in specific time, neutralizing
emotion, a medium to share idea and experience and etc. Music may have message in
it and the rhythm in music is the way to express those all. Here, musician is being the
symbol of the person who wants to hear the sound of the world and tell it again to the
world. In this line, Gibran repeats the word ‘space’ twice, the first has been written in
previous line, to mention the space because space could be the universe. Ironically,
Gibran keep giving contrast by the word ‘but he cannot give you the ear which
arrests the rhythm, nor the voice that echoes it’. It means although the musician tells
the sound of the world, tells about what he knows about the world and what the
world wants to say, we cannot hear it like the way the musician hears it.
And he who is versed in the science of numbers can tell of the regions of
weight and measure, but he cannot conduct you thither. (Line 8)
He, in this line, is general person. He can be anyone. Yet, he can’t conduct you
thither. He can’t make you to do what he wants to do, no matter how much people
know about something. He may able to make you do something, think about
yourself. This line may emphasize that we are the organizer for ourselves. We should
conduct ourselves first. All we do should base on our own desire.
For the vision of one man lends not its wings to another man. (Line 9)
Everyone has his own vision in his life. Vision is needed to make someone
plan something well for the future. The symbol ‘wings’ is used to show the way.
Wings make someone can fly up and keep moving up. There is concept in our mind
that ‘up’ is better than ‘down’. The connection between vision and wings is
something that related in power. If the vision keeps being better, it means that human
keep making better for getting the vision. Vision makes someone has spirit to reach
his dream. But in this line, Gibran says that someone can’t lend the wing of that
vision. It means that someone can say all about his vision to everyone and motivate
them to reach it but he can’t make those people have same spirit to get the vision.
Spirit and motivation itself called as the wing in this line. Some people may have
same vision but they may have different motivation and strength of the spirit. So
those will make the different passion to get the vision itself.
And even as each one of you stands alone in God's knowledge, so
must each one of you be alone in his knowledge of God and in his
understanding of the earth. (Line 10)
Symbol of God refers to most advanced knowledge. Gibran writes the word
‘each of you’ to support the word ‘alone’ in ‘stand alone in God’s knowledge’ which
emphasize to personal. In other word, it is about we and ourselves. Standing in God’s
knowledge is something great because we are in center of universe knowledge. Yet
we are alone which means that we can’t depend on the other person. Our
Since line 3 until line 8, Gibran keeps giving contrast to emphasize we must
learn something by our own desire, thought and self. It’s like what Gibran says that
whoever would be a teacher of men let him begin by teaching himself before
teaching other; and let him teach by example before teach by word. For he who
teaches himself and rectifies his own ways is more deserving of respect and
reverence than who would teach others and rectify their ways.
4. 4 On Pain
The fourth prose poem to be analyzed entitled ‘On Pain’:
On Pain
And a woman spoke, saying, "Tell us of Pain." (Line 1)
And he said: (Line 2)
Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. (Line 3)
Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must
you know pain. (Line 4)
And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain
would not seem less wondrous than your joy; (Line 5)
And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted
the seasons that pass over your fields. (Line 6)
And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief. (Line 7)
Much of your pain is self-chosen. (Line 8)
It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self. (Line 9) Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquillity:
(Line 9) For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by the tender hand of the Unseen,
(Line 10) And the cup he brings, though it burn your lips, has been fashioned of the clay which
the Potter has moistened with His own sacred tears. (Line 11)
Many people complain when they are on pain. Pain is like something bad for
them. But actually, there is a positive side of pain. In this prose poem, Gibran is
talking about pain.
And a woman spoke, saying, "Tell us of Pain." (Line 1)
And he said: (Line 2)
Woman is identical with her soft heart. There is analogy that men use their
mean as suggestion that we shouldn’t be only seeing pain with brain but also using
the heart because logically, pain is pitiful thing so it seems as if pain were only exist
as negative word.
Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your
understanding. (Line 3)
Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in
the sun, so must you know pain. (Line 4)
This line is saying that pain is not a negative thing. Shell is symbol for hiding
something. Breaking the shell means breaking the thing that closing something and
find out what is in it. In this line, Gibran says pain giving us more understanding
about something. For being parable, people won’t know how it feels when you are
starved because they are never starved. It also happens for other pain. Pain makes
people more understand about the feeling of others if they have similar sick of pain
and for getting true understanding. People must know the pain to have a better
solidarity and knowledge about something.
And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your
life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy; (Line 5)
This line is an advice from Gibran how is our way to face the pain.
Sometimes, when people on pain, they forget the miracles of life. Miracles in life
itself are unlimited, yet we seldom notice it. We can still alive till right now, having
two eyes and complete body, having health and those that seem simple are the most
basic miracles in life. We may be richer than other people. Yet, people keep
complaining the pain that come to their life. But, when people see the other people
is by seeing there are many more people that have more pain than us so we know we
are luckier.
And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have
always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields. (Line 6)
And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief.
(Line 7)
Season of the heart means the changing process of feeling like happiness,
comfortable, tears, and pain. While, season that pass over the field is the season like
spring, summer, autumn and winter. Those all are the life processes in general. Those
seasons represent the time of life; spring as moment in our young, summer as adult,
autumn as old and winter as the death. We would accept the timing process of life
because it is a natural changing process and we cannot run from it. The seasons itself
are also happened in our mind and we must accept all what happened with our life
and feeling. The words ‘winter’ and ‘grief’ as if saying that your pain will be frozen
and keep staying in your side. Yet, we should watch it with serenity because Gibran
says we should accept it as part of our inner self process.
Much of your pain is self-chosen.
There is no one has desire for having pain in life, though pains are usually
designed by fate to toughen up our existence. It means simply that pain isn’t self
chosen because it’s not our choice to be on pain. Some people say that pain is a
natural disaster that is unavoidable. But, in this line, Gibran says that pain is self
chosen. Gibran may not only talk about the pain itself but our way face it. If there is
a pain, some people may automatically in gloomy day but there are some people who
are able to take positive side and even get pleasure of it. So it’s totally our choice to
It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your
sick self (Line 8)
Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and
tranquillity: (Line 9)
Bitter potion is awful way to tell the feeling of being on pain. Yet, that can
heal the pain. The medicine that tastes so awful and bitter is make people tempted to
not take it therefore we should trust the physician that the bitter potion can heal the
sick. Here, there is no exact answer who is the physician. But, it could be the time or
the life. That is because we often fatefully believe that time will cure the sick self
which life gives us the new one. At least, life gives us the new paradigm and
perspective about many things.
For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by the tender hand of
the Unseen, (Line 10)
The word “his” represents the physician. His hand is heavy and hard may
represent that pain he give makes us feel down and hopeless but it is guided by
tender hand Unseen. ‘Tender hand Unseen’ may represent the God because it’s
written in capital letter and the God is the only one who makes a ‘scenario’ for
making us ‘tender’. We should drink ‘his remedy in silence’ may because the
remedy is given by God and ‘in silence’ because of faith where we believe that God
always give the best for us.
And the cup he brings, though it burn your lips, has been fashioned of
the clay which the Potter has moistened with His own sacred tears.
There are many motivations stories giving analogy that process of making
cup connected to pain. Basically, the cup is made of the loam. No one think that
loam is beautiful so it is being unused. But, in the hand of a potter, the loam is being
something useful and beautiful. The process of making the cup is by a ‘torture’
where the loam is being taken, being beaten, being dried under the sun, being burn
on the fire, and such other processes to make the loam being a cup. Here, Gibran
writes the ‘Potter’ with capital letter to represent the God. We may like the loam
itself and the pain is the process to change us being the cup. When we are in the
‘changing processes, we often complain about what is happening on us, about all the
pain God give to us, and we are getting angry of it without knowing the ‘magical
power’ of it. But when we are being the cup, we just realize that God makes us pain
for making us being more valuable person.
Simplify, pain doesn’t only make us being hopeless and helpless but
sometimes, when we are in pain, we realize our hidden potential and power. The
writer also loves the words saying that there is no rainbow without the rain which ha
