Old Poetry Poetry • Poets • Essays • Forums •

Forums / Poet & Poem Questions /
saddness on author Khalil Gibran •


  • Arrow97
    April 14, 2006 ↑
    Reply

    Saddness

    I've always had problems about Gibran. I find him too easy, too simple. Lines for light heart.
    reading the prophet I found it was a sort of smart poem which said things hard to contradict, too wise. missed something I like in poetry, the capacity to see things from the opposite. I think his poems hid something that was unexpressed, some deep in-heart pain he deliberately kept away from him, as if all the beautiful things he wrote about were the ones he could not have.
    bye Aa

  • poetryality
    April 19, 2006 ↑
    Reply

    Simplicity is Key

    Dear Arrow97

    Oft times I read poetry that uses intricate wording. It loses me. Although, I am very familiar with the English language, as English was my major many moons ago in college. It seems to me that the better understood (famous) poets were ones that created wondrous works without all the fanfare, and hoopla!

    Let me first express; the "The Prophet" is a book, not a poem. It is filled with many poems, such as; 'Giving'; (one of my favorites)

    "Then said a rich man, "Speak to us of Giving."
    And he answered:

    You give but little when you give of your possessions.

    It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.

    For what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow?" (excerpted)


    Then,, there is a poem (prose/poetic essay) called; 'Self-Knowledge' which I truly adore, and many others.


    I agree that there are always those poems that cause the reader to ponder, maybe read again, and again to find that which is written between the lines.

    Gibran is one of my favorite poets. I encountered his book, The Prophet when I was 17 years old, living in Detroit, Michigan. It was a gift from a gentleman named Danny Porre, who was the drummer for the Spinners singing group at the time. We talked for hours about the depth of Gibran's works. I have loved the poet/philosopher ever since.

    I do hope you read more of his works, and unearth some of the mysteries. For me, the man spoke wisdom, truth, and knowledge. He shared his insight with the reader, and became one of my greatest inspirations.

    You might also want to take a look into his book 'THE TREASURED WRITINGS OF KAHLIL GIBRAN', and look further into him here at OP.

    Peace & Love,
    Renee

    • Arrow97
      April 20, 2006 ↑
      Reply

      Simplicity

      Hello Reneè,

      what you say about Gibran is very near to my experience, when I started reading poetry, about that same age (16-17?). I read an Italian Poet, Vittorio Sereni, whose poems came casually to my eyes. I discovered that this poet,in a very different situation of life, when he was a prisoner during World War II, used the same words I would have used to describe life. I read his books and found in them all the possibilities of love and joy and the feelings of the human people. then I read English and poetry in other languages, although I can only speak English and French, the others were transaltions. I found interesting what you said. I feel that while poetry is for me more an exercise of the mind, you have a much more phisical way to feel it, with the voice and the movement. probably that's a reason why Gibran did not hit me as Tagore, for example, did (although in translations naturally, he wrote in bengali I think).
      I read my poets because I felt they contributed deeply to my humanity. I did not know what love or hatred of disillusionment or happiness were, and I learnt to give them a name from poetry.

      I'll take your advice about Gibran.
      goodbye

      Massimo

  • This topic has been locked by a moderator

    New comments cannot be added. Moderators may lock topics when they get too out of hand or too long.

    Please feel free to start a new topic if you wish to continue discussion in a friendly manner.