not speak their mind up , while the simile ‘you croak and clamour merrily like
frogs of the water’ shows the expression of ‘We’ in mocking their rival ‘You’ and seeing them as the group of trifling people. It has to be remembered that this poem
uses first-person point of view in which the whole story of the poem is based on ‘We’ perspective. In other words, generally, these similes try to show the contrast
attribute between ‘You’ and ‘We’.
c. … you live in the memory of man like
Corpses upon the face of the earth Gibran, 1947, stanza 27, line 1-2
The comparison between ‘the memories of man’ and ‘corpses upon the face of earth’ is stated in those two lines. ‘The memories of man’ are portrayed
like corpses or dead bodies lay on the ground. When it comes to be compared as corpses, it means that ‘the memories of man’ have the similarity feature with
somet hing that attaches to ‘corpses’. ‘Corpse’ is associated with ‘death’ and when
a corpse lies upon the face of earth; it would be forgotten as time goes by. Hence, it can be interpreted that this simile describes
‘the memories of man’ as dead and forgotten things just like corpses.
In the relation with ‘You’, the stanza states that ‘memory of man’ as the place where ‘You’ live in. ‘Memory of man’ can be seen as a history of man. This
simile describes a bout how ‘You’ as the people who have power and domination
havealready attached to the history. However, the poet compares the ‘memory of
man’− or it is understood as the history− with ‘corpses’. This comparison can be interpret
ed as the way ‘We’ to express their hatred for what ‘You’ have done in the past.
2. Metaphors
a. We are the sons of Sorrow, and you are the,
Sons of Joy Gibran, 1947, stanza 1, line 1-2
In this metaphor, the literal terms ‘We’ and ‘You’ are defined figuratively
as ‘sons of Sorrow’ and ‘sons of Joy’. ‘Sorrow’ and ‘Joy’ are described as if they
were parents who have children. As the sons, ‘We’ and ‘You’ belong to their
parents. So, it is obvious to be understood that this metaphor is about comparing the condition among two kinds of people.
‘We’ who belongs to ‘Sorrow’ and ‘You’ belongs to ‘Joy’. Moreover, this metaphor, which is found in the very
beginning of the poem, is also repeated several times in some stanzas. The repetitions bring the idea that this metaphor is used to emphasize the difference
between two characters of the poem. b.
You are the sons of the pursuit of earthly Gaiety
Gibran, 1947, stanza 6, line 1-2 Quite similar with the first metaphor, this one compares
‘You’ as ‘the sons of pursuit of earthly G
aiety’. In these two lines, ‘the pursuit of earthly gaiety’ is described as if it was a parent of
‘You’. Like a child who always follows and belongs to his parent, this metaphor means the earthly gaiety
− wealth, life style, luxury, or any kinds that are related to material things
˗ ˗ is something that ‘You’ follow and belong to. In other words, this metaphor shows the life of
‘You’ itself. c.
…and sorrow is a Rich cloud, showering the multitudes with
Knowledge and Truth Gibran, 1947, stanza 28, line1-3
T he metaphor is seen as the comparison between ‘sorrow’ and ‘cloud’. It
means the literal term ‘sorrow’ shares the same characteristic to figurative term
‘cloud’. Those lines show how ‘sorrow’ stands like a cloud which showers the earth with the rain while in this context
‘sorrow’ showers the multitudes with Knowledge and Truth. It is simply understood that this metaphor explains that
‘sorrow’ is not only about sadness but through sorrow people also can learn about any goodness such as knowledge and truth that come from it.
3. Personification
a. You are following Amusement, whose sharp claws
Have torn thousands of martyrs in the arenas Of Rome and Antioch . . . But we are following
Silence, whose careful fingers have woven the Iliad and the Book of Job and the Lamentations
Of Jeremiah. Gibran, 1947, stanza 17, line 1-6
There are two personifications in this stanza, ‘amusement’ and ‘silence’.
In these lines, they are attributed with human abilities. ‘Amusement’ is
personified as a beast that is described as the killer of many innocent people. While ‘Silence’ is personified as gentle person who has created such great works.
From these personifications, it is clear that the poet wants to make a contradiction of
‘You’ and ‘We’ by visualizing their situation, amusement and silence, into two different kinds of character.
b. ….Humanity
Walks as a sentry with iron weapons. Gibran, 1947, stanza 22, line 3-4
By giving human attribute ‘walks’, ‘Humanity’ is personified as a soldier with iron weapons. The readers might see the
existence of ‘Humanity’ in the
