1. "Tears and Laughter"
"Tears and Laughter" is the first collection of prose poems by Gibran, and it is also one of his most beautiful collections of prose poems. The collection was officially published in 1913, but chapters were written and published as early as 1903 to 1908.
These literary sketches were published by the Arab Diaspora newspaper published in New York, USA. The newspaper's host was a compatriot of Gibran named Nahi L. Alida. It is precisely because of the encouragement and persistence of this discerning publisher that "Tears and Laughter" was collected and published.
Around the beginning of the second decade of this century, Gibran had been influenced by Nietzsche's philosophy. He had already expressed a negative attitude towards the sorrow, pain and confession revealed in "Tears and Laughter", and even opposed its re-publication. He felt "ashamed and uneasy", but finally agreed to publish it.
2. "The Prophet"
According to his own statement, Gibran's "The Prophet" was written after "thinking for a thousand years". It is a serious author who A serious work written with a serious attitude and serious thinking for serious readers.
The protagonist of "The Prophet" is a wise man who is about to return to his hometown in the East by boat. In his parting words, he discusses love and beauty, life and death, crime and punishment, marriage and family, law and freedom, religion and A series of social and life issues such as good and evil, reason and passion, etc. are full of philosophy and novel metaphors.
The theme of "The Prophet" is very clear, that is, human development and improvement, "moving toward infinity" and "transcendence naked and without care." The selected articles seek to deepen the friendship in the soul, pour love into work to understand the secrets of life, conclude an independent and frank love marriage, suggestions and advice on parental love, thoughts on time and life, etc. are all this. A profound reflection of the theme.
"The Prophet" leads readers to the pinnacle of life, allowing them to look down at the common people and wander through life in the baptism of love and beauty. Western critics have praised it as "the most beautiful gift from the East to the West". In the Arab world, Gibran's hometown, people also call it the "evergreen tree" because it is deeply rooted in the soil of human life.
3. "Sand and Foam"
The entire collection of poems is full of philosophy and wisdom. It is a book of aphorisms about life, art, love, and human nature, and is worth reading again and again. In addition to philosophy, the collection of poems is also rich in the beauty of music, just like the sound of nature, conveying the love and true meaning of life, so that those who are troubled and hesitant can be comforted and inspired!
Poetry transcends the limitations of time, space and national boundaries. The words and sentences contain profound philosophy, embody the common emotions of human beings, and meet the different needs of different hearts. "One flower and one world, one grain of sand and one kingdom." In Gibran's story, the seasons pass and the clouds change.
The answer to life lies within, as long as you are good at discovering it. "Sand and Foam" and Rabindranath Tagore's "Birds" can be called two masterpieces. Both of them use short but meaningful poems to penetrate into the hearts of readers bit by bit.
Compared with the liveliness and ease of "The Birds", Gibran's "Sand and Foam" is more dignified and rich in imagination. Compared with Tagore's attention to flowers and grass, Gibran They often cast their sights on the universe that seems more profound and distant. "For those who look down from the windows of the Milky Way, space is no longer the space between the earth and the sun."
4. "The Tempest"
"The Tempest" was written in 1920 In 2007, the complete collection collected 31 short essays written by Gibran before and after the First World War, one of which, "Surban", was in the form of a short play.
"The Storm" is Gibran's most powerful collection of prose poems. It was not accidental that Gibran named this collection "The Storm". Gibran was particularly fond of storms that symbolized rebellion, revolution, and earth-shaking changes. In the violent storm of nature, his inner excitement can be resonated and expressed.
Once, a storm suddenly arose. Gibran said to his friend: "I look like it! Why don't people speak and write like thunder and lightning? I would like to stand on the top of the mountain, like when I was just born. Being naked like that, I would rather die in the storm."
At that time, the world was in the midst of a huge political storm. The storm of World War I shocked both the West and the East like never before. Gibran's soul was shaken. "A violent revolution" also arose in the depths. He keenly felt that an era of global change had arrived.
“The wind is howling, that’s what I love…my senses are inspired, my heart is beating, I go to work and she holds my hand – ‘she’ is the storm. "It was in this fervor that passionate prose poems were born. This collection collects many famous articles, most of which are written on social and political issues in the East, especially in the Arab world.
5. "The Forerunner"
"The Forerunner" (The Forerunner) is the second collection of prose poems written in English by the Lebanese poet Gibran.
Officially published in mid-August 1920, this collection contains 24 titled works, plus the original untitled first "Inscription", totaling 25 pieces. These works are quite similar in style to those in "Madman". Most of them have the formal characteristics of philosophical stories or modern fables, while a few are typical lyrical prose poems full of passion and expressing the heart directly.