Khalil Gibran is one of the most well-read (and cited) poets of all time (touted to be only following Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu according to the New Yorker). A Lebanese born American of the the late 19th and early 20th centuries, he was born of Maronite parents (his father actually having been a priest) and moved to Boston as a young man. Khalil is most remembered for “The Prophet” (1923)–which is a collection of 26 poetic sermons delivered by a fictional ancient sage–but besides writing numerous works in Arabic and English he was also renowned as an artist. While theologically there are things which I strongly disagree with in his writings, yet there is a beauty and intensity to his style that calls one to believe and be spiritually renewed. I hope to blog some of his quotes over the next several weeks from a new volume I recently purchased. For those interested in some of his works that are available online you can find them HERE. Happy reading!
