Work record
The Prophet
Kahlil GibranThe Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (1923)The Prophet is a book of twenty-six prose poems framed by a simple story.1923 · Early 20th Century · Poetry · English
Abstract
Frame. A beloved teacher who has lived twelve years in a foreign city sees his ship coming to take him home. The townspeople gather in grief and ask him to share his wisdom before he sails.
Teachings. In answer to each questioner he speaks on a subject: love, marriage, children, giving, eating, work, joy, sorrow, houses, clothes, trade, crime, laws, freedom, reason, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, speech, time, prayer, good and evil, beauty, pleasure, religion and finally death.
Style. The language borrows the cadences of the King James Bible, with parallel clauses, imperatives and images drawn from nature.
Thought. The vision blends Christian mysticism with Sufi and romantic ideas, imagining a single divine life shared by all souls.
For students. Read with discernment. Many sayings on generosity and work ring true; others conflict with Christian teaching on sin and God. Compare them with Scripture.
Copyright. Published in 1923, the book entered the US public domain in 2019. The author's own twelve drawings appeared in the first edition. Early reviews were few and mixed, but sales grew by word of mouth every year. The book became a staple of weddings and memorial services and sold millions of copies, though critics have often judged its wisdom more sentimental than profound.
Main characters
- Almustafa: departing prophet
- Almitra: the seeress of Orphalese
- People of Orphalese: questioners
Summary
The Prophet is a book of twenty-six prose poems framed by a simple story. Almustafa, 'the chosen and the beloved', has lived for twelve years in the city of Orphalese, waiting for a ship to carry him home to the island of his birth. When at last the ship appears, the people of the city gather and beg him not to leave. Almitra, a seeress who first believed in him, asks him to speak to them of the truth before he goes, and one after another the townspeople ask him to speak of the great matters of life. He speaks of love, which both crowns and crucifies; of marriage, in which there should be 'spaces in your togetherness'; of children, who 'are not your children' but 'the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself'; of giving, eating and drinking, and work, which is 'love made visible'; of joy and sorrow, houses, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death. Then, at evening, he says farewell, promising that he will return, and goes aboard. The language echoes the King James Bible, with its parallelism and imperatives, and its imagery draws on Lebanese landscape, Christian mysticism, Sufi poetry, Nietzsche and William Blake. Gibran's teaching is not orthodox Christianity: he speaks of a universal divine Self in which all souls share, of good and evil as aspects of a single life, and of religion as all deeds and reflections rather than a particular faith. Yet many of his sayings about generosity, work, love and suffering resonate with Christian readers. The book was published by Alfred A. Knopf in New York in 1923 with twelve drawings by Gibran himself. It sold slowly at first, then steadily, and has never gone out of print; it has been translated into more than one hundred languages. Because it was published in 1923, it entered the US public domain on 1 January 2019, and the library includes the full text.
Virtues in this work
Plot or Argument
- The Coming of the Ship
Almustafa sees his ship arriving and the people of Orphalese ask him to speak before he leaves.
- Love, Marriage, Children, Giving
He speaks of love that demands everything, marriage with freedom, children as gifts of Life, and generous giving.
- Work, Joy and Sorrow, Laws, Freedom
He calls work love made visible and describes joy and sorrow as inseparable.
- Self-Knowledge to Religion
He speaks of teaching, friendship, prayer, beauty and religion as the whole of life.
- Death and The Farewell
He speaks of death as part of life and departs, promising to return.
Characters
- Almustafa, prophet
The chosen and beloved, departing teacher.
- Almitra, seeress
The first to believe in him, who asks him to speak.
- The people of Orphalese, listeners
Townspeople who ask their questions.
Lessons
Work as love
Almustafa says work is love made visible. Compare Colossians 3:23.
- What does Almustafa mean?
- How does Christian teaching view work?
Children as gifts
He tells parents their children are not their own. Discuss stewardship.
- Do you agree with Almustafa about children?
- How does Psalm 127:3 compare?
Discernment
The book mixes biblical cadence with ideas foreign to Christian faith.
- Where does Gibran echo Scripture?
- Where does he depart from it?
Context
Gibran wrote The Prophet over many years, drawing on his Maronite upbringing, Arabic literature and Western romantic thought.
Composition
Published by Alfred A. Knopf in September 1923 with twelve drawings by Gibran; it entered the US public domain on 1 January 2019.
Reception
One of the best-selling books of the twentieth century, popular at weddings and funerals, and especially in the 1960s counterculture.
Comparisons
- Gitanjali (Song Offerings)
Tagore's devotional prose poems, also written in English by an Asian poet and admired in the West.
- The Bible
Gibran's style imitates the King James Bible's cadences and parables.
- Siddhartha: An Indian Tale
Hesse's spiritual fable, also popular with seekers.
Quotes
“Your children are not your children.”
“Work is love made visible.”
For Students
A reading companion for classical Christian high school students. See the student guide.
Reading Guide
Watch for
- The frame story of the ship.
- Biblical echoes in style.
- Teachings that differ from Christian faith.
- The farewell and promise to return.
Key terms and names
- Almustafa
- The prophet, 'the chosen'.
- Orphalese
- The imaginary city where he lived twelve years.
- Prose poem
- Poetry written in prose paragraphs.
- Parallelism
- Repeating grammatical patterns, as in the Psalms.
Seminar Questions
- Comprehension Why are the people of Orphalese sad?
- Comprehension What does Almustafa say about work?
- Interpretation How does Gibran's style imitate Scripture?
- Interpretation What does Almustafa say about good and evil, and is it compatible with Christianity?
- Interpretation What does the promise to return suggest?
- Big Question Where should we look for wisdom about life?
Faith Connections
- Colossians 3:23 (Scripture)
Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord; compare work as love made visible.
- 1 John 4:1 (Scripture)
Try the spirits whether they are of God; a call to read spiritual books with discernment.
Logic and Rhetoric
Central argument: Life's ordinary experiences, work, love, suffering and death, are sacred and should be lived with generosity and awareness.
Rhetorical device: parallelism. Gibran's balanced phrases imitate Hebrew poetry.
Debate: Resolved: that The Prophet is compatible with Christian faith.
Memory Work
Work is love made visible.
Writing Prompts
Essay: Choose two sayings from The Prophet and compare them with Scripture.
Comparison with Gitanjali (Song Offerings): Compare the spiritual vision of Gibran and Tagore.
Creative Prompts
- Poetry
Write a short prose poem in Gibran's style on a subject he did not address.
- Essay
Compare Almustafa's teaching on work with Colossians 3:23.
- Classroom
Discuss three sayings from The Prophet and judge them against Scripture.
Further Reading
- Gitanjali, Rabindranath Tagore
Devotional poetry.
Verification notes
Publisher front matter in the Gutenberg edition (a Bragdon blurb and a backlist of later titles) has been omitted.
No verification flags recorded.