The Prophet

 Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet feels like a guide to live your life by. He councils the people on matters that are still applicable today. His writing doesn’t make the reader feel bad about themselves but instead inspires them to do better. I felt the poetry was uplifting in a way that was refreshing and kind. The chapter on giving really stood out to me. I thought it was highly impactful from a modern standpoint. We are living in an age of great wealth disparity where the 1% hold the majority of the world's wealth and they give nothing. They are like the overprudent dog in the poem, hoarding their wealth simply to have it and to keep it from others.“There are those who give little of the much which they have—and they give it for recognition and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome.” The second half of the poem also resonated with me. Gibran describes the type of person that gives because that is what is natural to them, there is no other way for them to live. “They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space.” I often see people who give because they want the appearance of giving and not because it’s their instinct. I agree with Gibran when he says that God speaks through those that give freely. The entire poem flows in a way that ought to be admired. It speaks as it breathes. I would definitely share this poem with other people. It feels like such an appropriate poem for times we are living in. There is so much need in the world, now more than ever, and this poem urges the people to give not just their money to causes they believe in but also their time. I’ve spent most of my life either studying or memorizing various poems and I was shocked that I hadn’t heard of Kahlil Gibran. I look forward to reading more of his work on my own time.

(Word Count: 335)