Self As Reflected In Kahlil Gibran’s Four Prose Poetry: “The Prophet”

SELF _{AS REFLECTED IN KAHLIL GIBRAN’S FOUR PROSE POETRY:} “THE PROPHET”

A THESIS

BY:

SITI LESTARI NAINGGOLAN REG. NO. 090705027

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA

SELF _{AS REFLECTED IN KAHLIL GIBRAN’S FOUR PROSE POETRY:} “THE PROPHET”

A THESIS

BY:

SITI LESTARI NAINGGOLAN REG. NO. 090705027

SUPERVISOR CO-SUPERVISOR

Dra.ReditaLubis, Dip.Appl.Ling.M.Hum Dr. AsmytaSurbakti, M.Si

Submitted to Faculty of Cultural Studies University of Sumatera Utara Medan in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Sarjana from Department of English.

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA

AUTHOR’S DECLARATION

I, SITI LESTARI NAINGGOLAN DECLARE THAT I AM THE SOLE AUTHOR OF THIS THESIS EXCEPT WHERE REFERENCE IS MADE IN THE TEXT OF THIS THESIS. THIS THESIS CONTAINS NO MATERIAL PUBLISHED ELSEWHERE OR EXTRACTED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FROM A THESIS BY WHICH A HAVE QUALIFIED FOR OR AWARDED ANOTHER DEGREE. NO OTHER PERSON’S WORK HAS BEEN USED WITHOUT DUE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS IN THE MAIN TEXT OF THIS THESIS. THIS THESIS HAS NOT BEEN SUBMITTED FOR THE AWARD OF ANOTHER DEGREE IN ANY TERTIARY EDUCATION.

Signed :

COPYRIGHT DECLARATION

NAME : SITI LESTARI NAINGGOLAN

TITLE OF THESIS : SELF _{AS REFLECTED IN KAHLIL GIBRAN’S} FOUR PROSE POETRY: “THE PROPHET”

QUALIFICATION : S-1/ SARJANA SASTRA

DEPARTMENT : ENGLISH

I AM WILLING THAT MY THESIS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR REPRODUCTION AT THE DISCRETION OF THE LIBRARIAN OF DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT USERS ARE MADE AWARE OF THEIR OBLIGATION UNDER THE LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA.

Signed : ...

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Praise and majesty to Almighty Allah SWT for the blessing and guidance that I can finish my study in Department of English, University of Sumatera Utara and

complete this thesis, entitled “Self As Reflected InKahlil Gibran’s Four Prose Poetry

The Prophet”.

First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisor, Dra. ReditaLubis, Dip.Appl.Ling.M.Hum and my Co – Supervisor, Dr. AsmytaSurbakti, M.Si for their attention, contribution and support with all their great patience and understanding to guide me to finish this thesis. My gratitude is also addressed to all my lecturers in English Department who have taught me during my college with their love and patience. I also thank Dr. MuhizarMuchtar, M.S. as the head of English Department, Dr. Nurlela, M.Hum, as the secretary, for their attention to all my academic affairs, and Dr. SyahronLubis, M.A., the Dean of Faculty of Cultural Studies, University of Sumatera Utara and the staffs for their help.

My gratitude is for my great family. I do truly thank my father, RiswansyahNainggolan, my mother, Sri Maulita, my sister, SitiHasanah and my brothers, Iqbal and Ibrahim. Thank you for everything. The one I am now is all because of you. I do truly love you.

My very special thanks are also addressed to my beloved friends; NazliRamadhani and Siswantia for all your inspirations and my lovely friends; NurulSyakinah, PratiwiHutapea and Roni A. Simangunsong for all your favors. For

Finally, since there is no perfection in this world, I would be glad for getting any constructive ideas and suggestions which can improve the quality of my next writing. I also hope this thesis can be useful as the references for those who have interest in literature.

Medan, 29 July 2013

Siti Lestari Nainggolan

ABSTRAK

Skripsiiniberjudul ‘Self’ as Reflected in Kahlil Gibran’s Prose Poetry: The

Prophet. Di dalamskripsiiniterdapatanalisismengenai ‘konsepidentitasdiri’ yang

terdapatdalambukuThe Prophet yang ditulisolehKahlil

Gibran.Analisisinibertujuanuntukmenjelaskanbagaimana proses pengembanganjatidirimelaluikonsepbelajar, bicara, pengetahuandiridan rasa sakit.

Dimanafokusutamadalamsetiapkonsepadalahtentangbagaimanakitaberdamaidengandi rikitasendiri.

Adapunmetode yang digunakandalampenulisanskripsiiniadalahmetodeanalisisdeskriptif yang

bertujuanmenggambarkanpandanganKahlil Gibran tentang ‘konsepindentitasdiri’

melaluibeberapatema yang terpilihdalambukuThe

Prophet.Penggambaraninimemuatinterpretasi yang kemudiandianalisisberdasarkan

ABSTRACT

The title of this thesis is ‘Self’ as Reflected in Kahlil Gibran’s Prose Poetry:

The Prophet. In this thesis, there is analysis of ‘concept of self’ which has been written in Kahlil Gibran’s book ‘The Prophet’. This analysis is for explaining how the process of developing self by self-knowledge, talking, teaching, and pain where the main focus is how we must deal with ourselves.

The method used in this thesis is descriptive method that analyzes and interprets the data to know Kahlil Gibran’s point of view about ‘the concept of self’ trough selected theme from the book “The Prophet”. This analysis is by using many sources as reference.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

AUTHOR’S DECLARATION ……… i

COPYRIGHT DECLARATION ……… ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ……… iii

ABSTRAK ……… v

ABSTRACT ……… vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS ……… vii

CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION 1.1Background of Study ……….. 1

1.2Problem of Study ……….. 3

1.3Objective of Study ……….. 3

1.4Scope of Study ……….. 3

1.5Significance of Study ……….. 4

CHAPTER II : REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2.1 Brief Description of Prose Poetry ………..……… 5

2.2 Finding the Meaning ……….. 7

2.3 Devices ……….. 8

2.3.1 Structural Devices……… 8

2.3.2 Sense Devices ……….. 9

CHAPTER III : METHOD OF RESEARCH

3.1 Research Design ……….. 12

3.2 Data Collection ……….. 12

3.3 Data Analysis ……….. 13

CHAPTER IV : ANALYSIS AND FINDING 4.1 On Self Knowledge ……….. 15

4.2 On Talking ……….. 22

4.3 On Teaching ……….. 27

4.4 On Pain ……….. 33

CHAPTER V : CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION 5.1 Conclusion ……….. 37

5.2 Suggestion ……….. 37

REFERENCES APPENDICES

i. Biography of Kahlil Gibran and works

ABSTRAK

Skripsiiniberjudul ‘Self’ as Reflected in Kahlil Gibran’s Prose Poetry: The

Prophet. Di dalamskripsiiniterdapatanalisismengenai ‘konsepidentitasdiri’ yang

terdapatdalambukuThe Prophet yang ditulisolehKahlil

Gibran.Analisisinibertujuanuntukmenjelaskanbagaimana proses pengembanganjatidirimelaluikonsepbelajar, bicara, pengetahuandiridan rasa sakit.

Dimanafokusutamadalamsetiapkonsepadalahtentangbagaimanakitaberdamaidengandi rikitasendiri.

Adapunmetode yang digunakandalampenulisanskripsiiniadalahmetodeanalisisdeskriptif yang

bertujuanmenggambarkanpandanganKahlil Gibran tentang ‘konsepindentitasdiri’

melaluibeberapatema yang terpilihdalambukuThe

Prophet.Penggambaraninimemuatinterpretasi yang kemudiandianalisisberdasarkan

ABSTRACT

The title of this thesis is ‘Self’ as Reflected in Kahlil Gibran’s Prose Poetry:

The Prophet. In this thesis, there is analysis of ‘concept of self’ which has been written in Kahlil Gibran’s book ‘The Prophet’. This analysis is for explaining how the process of developing self by self-knowledge, talking, teaching, and pain where the main focus is how we must deal with ourselves.

The method used in this thesis is descriptive method that analyzes and interprets the data to know Kahlil Gibran’s point of view about ‘the concept of self’ trough selected theme from the book “The Prophet”. This analysis is by using many sources as reference.

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Literature was exist in the past, is exist now, and will be exist in the future. If you hear the word “literature”, what is on your mind? There have been various attempts to define what literature actually is. Some people say that literature is imaginative writing. But, anyone who has read a major anthology of literature will discover that substantial amount of the material in it is not imaginative. One is likely to find political, historical or scientific writing as poetry, fiction and drama (Castle 2007:6). Writing a literary work can be a good way to express something. It may experience, feeling, point of view about something or kinds of it. Analyzing a literary work can be a good way too for getting new idea, information about something or condition by learning it from its literary story. There are genres in literature, such as prose, drama and poetry are for making easy the reader in choosing which they like most. In this case, the writer chooses prose poetry. Delville (1969: 2) in his book ‘American Prose Poem Poetic Form and the Boundaries of Genre’ quotes Martin Gray’s definition about the prose poetry:

“…Martin Gray’s description of the genre as short work of poetic, resembling a poem because its ornate language and imagery, and because it stands on its own, lacks narrative: like a lyric poem but not subjected to patterning of metre.” Delville (1969: 2)

Prose poetry can be one of the best ways to explore the experience and the idea of something. When people read it, some people may find that prose poetry is complicate, although the subject matter of the prose poem itself isn’t complicated.

The only reason why we find it complicated is because all those patterns serve to concentrate and compress the word into much more meaningful relationship each other. The writer chooses the prose poem because it is more attractive to take attention from someone in playing word.

In this thesis the writer wants to analyze Kahlil Gibran’s point of view about self by analyzing selected prose poem that related on it. Self (Oxford: 2000) is the type of person you are, especially the way you normally behave. In this thesis, the writer chooses self-knowledge, talking, teaching and pain that are related to self. Here is because the way we talk and teach influence our way to think and behave, meanwhile, self-knowledge and pain are more related to connect us and ourselves.

Kahlil Gibran, as a poet, is one of famous author who is good at arranging meaningful word. He is Lebanese American artist, poet and the writer. Born in the town of Bsharri in modern day, as a young man, he immigrated with his family to the United States where he studied art and began his literary career. His most famous work is a book entitled “The Prophet”. That book is written as prose poem. News in BBC, has supported the writer’s idea that the book is prose poem, say in their article that “the book is made of 26 prose poems, delivered as sermons by a wise man called Almustafa. His style, which broke away from the classical school, pioneered a new

Romantic movement in Arabic Literature of poetic prose”. (BBC News, 12th May

2012).

The writer chooses Kahlil Gibran because he writes many aspects that concerning life in his book “The Prophet” by putting his point of view what actually they are. Everyone has different point of view about something but the writer is interested to analyze Kahlil Gibran’s point of view because it looks like written in positive way. In this thesis, the writer wants to discuss about selected prose poetry to

find out Kahlil Gibran’s point of view about self. Madison says in his article that Kahlil Gibran is a beautiful writer and one that gets his point across by painting a picture of life on how one should lead it. In no way does he demand utopianism form his readers. He simple provides examples and thought on how to approach and live a more fruitful and less complicated lifestyle. Kahlil Gibran’s prose poem is also arranged in meaningful lines. For the writer, each of his words is as if saying the general truth of this world.

To find out the significance of this thesis, the writer uses library research by having focus on the analysis. A focus is needed to scope the study and limit the subject itself. The method research used by the writer in this thesis is library research by collecting all necessary information. The writer uses intrinsic and extrinsic approach to analyze the prose poetry. Intrinsic approach describe the image that found in those selected theme and extrinsic approach for relate it on self. The writer is following several steps; for example reading the total of the book to find the connection, if available, between each chapter and previous chapter, selecting the theme from all themes that written in “The Prophet” and analysis the data by finding its meaning.

1.2Problem of the Study

To restrict the problem of study, this thesis will be guided by this question:

• How is Kahlil Gibran’s point of view about self that reflected in his selected

1.3 Objective of the Study

The objective of this thesis is to answer the problem of the study to understand Kahlil Gibran’s point of view about self that reflected in his selected prose poetry.

1.4 Scope of the Study

In order to limit the discussing matter, this thesis concentrates on prose poetry that has the theme which has most connection with self and the aspects that influence process of developing manner of self. The writer focuses on meaning of the prose poetry that are related on self out of its structural and sound devices itself.

1.5 Significance of the Study

In order to make useful research, the writer describes the significances of this analysis theoretically and practically. Theoretically, this research is to enrich the literary work. Practically, this thesis can be reference for the other persons that are interested in this topic, to introduce about prose poetry briefly, to find out Kahlil Gibran’s point of view about self.

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Brief Description of the Prose Poetry

There are many books and journals write the history of the prose poetry, its characteristic, its genre, and some information about it. But, in this case, the writer has concluded some necessary idea about the prose poetry. For introduce the prose poetry, the writer chooses what OtaredHaidar (2008) says that though modern literary theorists seem to agree upon considering the prose poem as a genre in itself, working toward defining it an drawing its boundaries is still ongoing. The main difficulty comes from dual nature of this genre which is represented by its very name. In attempting to define the prose poem, a myriad of similar definitions that are only as elusive as the genre itself have produced by critics and poets.

Despite the exhaustive search for a definition, critics still give what seem more like anti-definitions in their attempts to solve the mystery of the prose poem and to establish a definition for it. These statements seem to add the ambiguity of the genre. However, these anti-definitions are widely quoted and referred to by critics to underline the difficulties and challenges of studying the prose poem and of providing methods and approaches to deal with it. In their introduction, critics who write about the prose poem struggle with terms and definitions while attempting to introduce their subject to the readers in few plain words. The most comprehensive introductory account that tackles the subject and tries to define it is provided by Suzanne Bernard in her pioneering work about the prose poem. In her massive work, she includes scores of description, all of which could help in defining the genre. Nonetheless, she also starts her book by highlighting the challenges of such an endeavour. In her

introduction, she quotes and endorses Morris Chaplin’s definition: ‘A genre of which no theorist has dared to declare rules’. The other definitions in her book deal with the features and characteristic of the prose poem. In her introduction, she provided her own definition of the genre describing it as being: ‘A rebellion against all types of formal tyranny, which prevent the poet from creating a private language for himself, and force him to put the flexible substance of his phrases into ready-made moulds.’

Monte (2000) also writes in his book ‘Invisible Fences Prose Poetry as a Genre in French and American Literature’ (2-8) that the most foolproof definition of prose poetry, “poetry written in prose,” sounds uncomfortably. The next best approach throws the question “What is prose poetry?” back at the questioner—“You tell me what ‘prose’ is and what ‘poetry’ is, and I will tell you what ‘prose poetry’ is”—to make the point that the two terms that constitute “prose poetry” are themselves difficult to define unambiguously. Recalling that prose poetry is or was once an oxymoron takes us in yet another direction: “prose poetry” is an abstraction meant to question generic boundaries and accordingly resists definition. But none of these approaches helps us much in recognizing a prose poem we might come across in our literary wandering, let alone help us read one. Maybe we are starting off too abstractly. While many critics attempt to define the external and internal factors that help determine the form of the prose poem, they do so almost universally in the context of prose poetry’s revolutionary or subversive impulse. It is as if one only bothers defining the prose poem’s constraints in order to show more effectively how it violates them. I do not deny prose poetry revolutionary potential, but I am anti essentialist when it comes to questions of form or genre: the fact that a poem is written in prose does not necessarily mean it is subversive. To be sure, no one ever takes the extreme essentialist position on the matter.

2.2 Finding the Meaning

After reading some definitions of prose poetry and seeing the prose poetry that want to be analyzed also has quality as poetry, the writer has chosen L.G Alexander’s theory to be used in analyzing the prose poetry. For finding its meaning, L.G Alexander (1963) has made it specific by:

1) General Meaning

This should be expressed simply in one, or at the most two sentences. It should

be based on a reading of the whole poem. Very often, but not always, a poem’s title

will give you some indication of its general meaning.

2) Detailed Meaning

Detailed meaning should be given stanza by stanza, but this should not paraphrase the poem or worry about the meaning of individual words. The detailed meaning may be written as continuous paragraph, but you must take every care to be accurate and to express yourself in simple sentences. Similarly people must pay special attention to the prose style by showing how the poet begins, how he develops his theme and then how he should make some rough attempt in your reading to divide the lines into fairly self-contained groups.

3) Intention

Every poet conveys an experience or attempt to arouse certain feelings in the reader. When you have read a poem and given its general and detailed meaning, you should try to decide what feelings the poet is trying to arouse in you. A poem may affect different people in a great variety of ways and it is often impossible to define a poet’s ‘true’ intention. Your interpretation of a poet’s aims is, therefore, largely a personal matter, but at the same time it should never be far-fetched. It is, however,

most important to explain what you have understood a poet’s purpose to be. Just as it is impossible to give the meaning of the poem if you have read it carefully, it is impossible to appreciate the poem if you are unable to define the poet’s intention. Finding meanings of a poem and intentions of the writer are simply the means.

2.3 Devices

L.G Alexander (1963) says that it’s hard to define exactly what a poem is and to state why it gives us pleasure. Every poem is unique and has special qualities of its own so if we want to appreciate poetry, it is necessary to learn how to recognize

these ‘special qualities’ which called devices and can be found when we analyze a

poem. Devices may be divided into three groups: structural, sense and sound devices. When writing an appreciation of poetry, it is not enough to be able to point out the devices. You must always explain that effect they have and how they help the poet to fulfill his attention.

2.3.1 Structural Devices

Contrast, illustration, repetition: these indicate the way a whole poem has been built and become as soon as the meaning of the poem has been found.

1) Contrast

This is one of the most common of all structures devices. It occurs when we find two completely opposite pictures side by side. Sometimes the contrast is immediately obvious and sometimes implied.

2) Illustration

This is example which usually takes the form o a vivid picture by which a poet may make an idea clear. Pictures of this sort occur in all the poems.

3) Repetition

Poets often repeat single line or whole stanzas at intervals to emphasize a particular idea. Repetition is to be found in poetry which is aiming at a special effect or when a poet wants us to pay very close attention to something.

2.3.1 Sense Devices

Sense devices divide into three:

1) Simile

This is a direct comparison and can be recognized by the use of the words like

and as.

2) Metaphor

This is rather like a simile except that the comparison is not direct but implied:

the words like and as are not used. The poet does not say that one object is like

another; he says it is another. In the poem Lucy, Wordsworth does not say that the

girl was like a violet. He writes:

A violet by mossy stone Half hidden from the eye.

Lucy, in these lines, is a violet. The metaphor vividly expresses the basic idea of

the poem; it represents a girl of rare beauty who ‘lived unknown’. A violet half hidden by a stone is similarly something rare and beautiful which, for most people, ‘live unknown’.

This occurs when inanimate objects are given a human form, or when they are

made to speak. For example, we can find personification in On his Eighty-Sixth

Birthday. The world ‘speaks’ these words: Many have loved me desperately Many with smooth serenity

While some nave shown contempt of me Till they dropped underground

By means of personification here the poet underlines the close relationship that existed between himself and the world.

2.3.1 Sound Devices

Sound devices can be considered as musical quality of a poem when it is read aloud. For analyzing sound devices, we can divide them being:

1) Alliteration : The repetition of the same sound at frequent intervals.

2) Onomatopoeia : Imitates sounds and thus suggest the object described.

3) Rhyme : Occurs at the end of a poetic line.

4) Assonance : The repeating of stressed vowel sound.

In this thesis, the writer will analyze each detailed meaning and general meaning to find out its intention by analyzing its structural and sense devices. Yet, the writer will not analyze the sound devices since it is not the focus on this thesis.

CHAPTER III

METHOD OF THE STUDY

3.1 Research Design

To make scientific research, research method is needed. The method used in this research is library research. Library research is by collecting all necessary data which is collected from books, reports, journals, etc. The writer also uses intrinsic and extrinsic approach. The extrinsic approach is based on the text itself to find out the meaning of the prose poetry, while extrinsic approach is for relate the meaning of the prose poetry and the self. Those methods will be applied for analyzing and interpreting the meaning of those selected theme in Kahlil Gibran’s book “The Prophet”

3.2 Data Collection

Based on the research, there are two kinds of sources data which is used to analyzing the prose poem. The first one is known as primary source data, which is also known as main data. The primary source data is the prose poetry itself. The second one is known as secondary source data such as the books, articles, journals, and any opinion from previous critical comment. Those things should be related with the main idea of the prose poetry to help the writer writes and analyzes the data. Here are some steps which are used in this thesis:

a. Select topic, because writer analyzes the prose poetry by choosing the theme

that having most connectivity to analyze concept of self based on the writer’s point of view.

b. Focus Question, to limit the topic of the prose poetry in discussing and focusing on the topic trough question and developing possibility in theories and answer.

c. Collect data, collecting the data based on the method which is used in method

research. The main data of this thesis are the text of Kahlil Gibran’s prose poetry that is written in his book “The Prophet”. The central themes of this thesis is about self that analyzed trough these topics:

1) On Self Knowledge

2) On Talking

3) On Teaching

4) On Pain

3.3 Data Analysis

For analysis and interpret the data, the writer analyzes the data which has been selected. The data is analyzed in order to get the understanding of the Prose Poetry. The writer consults to L.G Alexander’s theory of poetry because the prose poetry is analyzed by using qualities of poetry. The writer also consults to dictionary which can tell how a word’s definition and usage by determine how a word being used to find its appropriate meaning and being equally sensitive to the implications of the word choice.

CHAPTER IV

FINDING AND ANALYSIS

“The Prophet” is collection of prose poetry with a narrative style opening by introducing the main scene of the story and the main character written by Kahlil Gibran. In this book, the opening and description of Almustafa described in the first prose poetry entitled “The Coming of the Ship”. Here, Almustafa, as the main character, is described as a narrator that leading each prose poetry by his narrative point of view about the theme that concerning to life in general. Yet, the writer has chosen the theme that related about the self where the main idea is how we must deal with our self. Here is how Gibran describes the image of Almustafa:

“Almustafa, the chosen and the beloved, who was a dawn unto his own day, had waited twelve years in the city of Orphalese for his ship that was to return and bear him back to the isle of his birth.”

From the quote above, there is image that Almustafa is a traveller. In general, travelling by seeing the entire world makes people have more experiences because they have been seeing new place, new condition, new people, new culture and new atmosphere. Travelling gives people more complete perspective of the how the world works. When someone has seen two or many concepts about the same things, they will get better solution by combining many aspects and take the best of it. Experience of travelling makes people know the wisdom of entire world, the different concepts, problems and solutions of those problems. That’s what makes the personality is blander and makes people wiser.

Almustafa is described as a wise person. Asking to a wise person is one of best solution for finding the truth and the wisdom. Selected prose poetry in this thesis is written as dialogue of questioner and Almustafa, here is described as “Prophet of

God”. Each questioner asks something to Almustafa and he answers their question. So, in the second line of each prose poetry is written “And he answered:” or “And he said” which ‘he’ represent Almustafa. It has been introduced in first chapter of this book “The Coming of the Ship” that the people ask him to give them his truth about things between birth and death.

“Yet this we ask ere you leave us, that you speak to us and give us of your truth….Now therefore disclose us to ourselves, and tell us all that has been shown you of that which is between birth and death.

And he answered: People of Orphalese, of what can I speak save of that which is even now moving within your souls?”

Having chosen selected prose poetry to be analyzed that have relation on self

and its developing process, the writer chooses the prose poetry entitled On Self

Knowledge, On Talking, On Teaching and On Pain:

4.1 On Self Knowledge

The first prose poem to be analyzed entitled ‘On Self Knowledge’:

On Self –Knowledge

And a man said, "Speak to us of Self-Knowledge." (Line 1)

And he answered, saying: (Line 2)

Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights. (Line 3)

But your ears thirst for the sound of your heart's knowledge. (Line 4)

You would know in words that which you have always known in thought. (Line 5)

You would touch with your fingers the naked body of your dreams. (Line 6)

And it is well you should. (Line 7)

The hidden well-spring of your soul must needs rise and run murmuring to the sea; (Line 8) And the treasure of your infinite depths would be revealed to your eyes. (Line 9)

But let there be no scales to weigh your unknown treasure; (Line 10)

And seek not the depths of your knowledge with staff or sounding line. (Line 11)

For self is a sea boundless and measureless. (Line 12)

Say not, "I have found the truth," but rather, "I have found a truth." (Line 13) Say not, "I have found the path of the soul." Say rather, "I have met the soul walking

upon my path." (Line 14)

For the soul walks upon all paths. (Line 15)

The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed. (Line 16)

And a man said, "Speak to us of Self-Knowledge." (Line 1) And he answered, saying: (Line 2)

The symbol ‘man’ is very general symbol to tell animate thing. It tells human being in general. If a man asks about self knowledge, it means general human want to know about self knowledge. The message of this line is that every human need self knowledge.

Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights. (Line 3)

Secret is something that can’t be told by someone to another one. Secret is kept from view of other. The days and the nights represent the exchange of period of time in this life because life is process of replacement the days and the night. It may such as day and night, light and dark, or true and false. It means the words “days and nights” mean the time of this world. The secret of the days and the nights may mean secret of life. Yet, those all only known by the heart. It means people, in this line, will not know the secret of life if they do not ask it to their heart because the heart is only silent. So the conclusion is the heart will not tell secret of the life as long people do not ask their heart because if a heart know something, it doesn’t mean the owner of the heart know it, too.

But your ears thirst for the sound of your heart's knowledge. (Line 4)

Actually, this is contrast from previous line. Ear is used for hearing something; to hear a sound from someone or something. But the word ‘thirst’ means negative which explain that the ear isn’t hear sound of your heart’s knowledge enough. Heart (Oxford: 2000) is part of the body where feelings and emotions are thought to be, especially those connected with love. Usually, the knowledge of the heart should be something wise. Many people say that if you are doubt, you can ask

your heart because heart will never lie to you. Powerfully, the word ‘knowledge’ supports the function of the heart itself because heart and knowledge will tell wisely.

You would know in words that which you have always known in thought. (Line 5)

The fifth line is written in two sentences. Grammatically, the first sentence is using modal in past tense ‘you would know’ but the second sentence is written in simple present so the word ‘would’ is written as expectation form. Gibran expects that all we know in thought, also we know in words. But expectation is something we have not got yet. It means that all we know in thought haven’t known in word. It may mean we can’t say everything in our thought in words because although sometimes what we thought may be able to be represented by words but there may some ‘feeling’ missed. It’s because those stuff in thought is deeper than in words.

You would touch with your fingers the naked body of your dreams. (Line 6) And it is well you should. (Line 7)

Naked body is the symbol of purity self. The naked body is who you are without something hidden. The naked body is very natural to say finding the identity. Naked body of your dream means the one whom you want to be which you can’t express due to something. Gibran says ‘You would touch’ as suggestion to touch of true self which mean people should set themselves free and find their original identity. The word ‘with your finger’ means that the one that can make people find their true self is themselves by their hand. None can make people find their ‘self’ if they can’t find it by themselves. That’s because nothing will change about people if they refuse to change something about themselves. The line 7 ‘And it is well you

should’ is written as suggestion and expectation of Gibran that people must find their true self.

The hidden well-spring of your soul must needs rise and run murmuring to the sea; (Line 8)

Spring is symbol of young age, new life, and knowledge but in this line, the spring is hidden by something. The hidden well-spring is the spring that should be exist in the soul well. In dictionary, soul is person’s inner character containing their true though and feeling. The word ‘true though and feeling’ as if saying that without the true though and true feeling, the soul isn’t totally the soul. Gibran says that hidden spring of soul means that the true though and feeling must need rise, it because our thought isn’t always based on true knowledge or wisdom. If we can find out our true thought and feeling, it should be something great because mostly thought and feeling is totally control our act. While the word ‘sea’ is symbol of the life and

its dynamic so ‘run murmuring to the sea’ may an advice that if we want to face

the life and problem in it, we should use our true knowledge and feeling. We can’t face it if we are blind of it.

And the treasure of your infinite depths would be revealed to your eyes. (Line 9)

Treasure is something extremely valuable for us but treasure for someone maybe different with the other. For self, treasure can be mind, intelligence, wisdom or love. If treasure is infinite, it means that the person is so rich in concept of self. Gibran says that the treasure itself would be revealed to your eyes may mean that we should show and respect how valuable ourselves. People say that someone respect

you depend on your way respect yourself. So we should reveal it by showing how we respect ourselves by our own manner.

But let there be no scales to weigh your unknown treasure; (Line 10)

No scale means there is no proper price for your self-treasure. There is no standard about how valuable the self is. But, Gibran says ‘unknown treasure’ because people haven’t known about their values. They haven’t known the value of their mind, intelligence or wisdom of their innate self because they focus on other’s values till they forget to value themselves.

And seek not the depths of your knowledge with staff or sounding line. (Line 11)

The word ‘sounding line’ may mean the point of view or the right thing for general. We mostly see something is only based on our point of view. If something is not same with what our point of view say, we say it’s wrong. So Gibran says to not seek knowledge with staff or sounding line because there are always possibilities that what we not think true is the truest knowledge.

For self is a sea boundless and measureless. (Line 12)

Self (Oxford: 2000) is the type of person you are, especially the way you normally behave. Self means personal individual; a person’s personality or character that makes them different from other people. Gibran says that self is something boundless and measureless. It means human’s capability isn’t limited. Ironically, we often judge ourselves and determine our personal standard. When we find something new to do, we quite often say that we can’t do it even before we try to do it. We are often thinking that someone is better, smarter or such those better qualities that us so

those make us underestimate ourselves. If we judge someone, it also means we judge ourselves. Why we have to limit treasure of ourselves, if it’s unlimited?

Say not, "I have found the truth," but rather, "I have found a truth." (Line 13)

The difference between “I have found the truth” and “I have found a truth” is the article ‘a’ and ‘the.’ The article ‘the’ is more specific. It’s used to referring something that has been already mentioned or is easily understood. Meanwhile, the article ‘a’ is used before uncountable nouns referring to people or things that have not mentioned. The article ‘a’ can be for something infinite. Truth itself is true fact about something rather than the things that have been invented or guessed. The word “I have found the truth” means that the truth itself already knows which truth is it, so it makes the truth being specific. It’s as if saying ‘this is the truth and no more other truth’. But “I have found a truth” means that the truth is general. It can be any truth. The truth still can be seen by many ways. It’s better to say ‘I have found a truth’ than ‘I have found the truth’ because when we have specific truth or the standard of truth, we cannot see the other truth.

Say not, "I have found the path of the soul." Say rather, "I have met the soul walking upon my path." (Line 14)

The word ‘I have found the part of my soul’ emphasize on the path. If you only have part of the soul, it means you haven’t found the soul completely. You only know the soul in your way. But ‘I have met the soul walking upon my path’ emphasizes on the soul itself which means you have met the soul in your path. So, no matter which path you take, the soul is always belong to you in your way.

“For the soul walks upon all paths” is in one line with previous line which saying ‘I have met the soul walking upon my path’ for that the soul should be exists in every way we take. This is because people will do better if they do something by using their soul. There are senses to do the best and self-pleasure if we love what we do.

The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed. (Line 16)

This line tells that the soul isn’t a line which means that the soul isn’t only seen by one way. People may see the straight way to their focus but it doesn’t mean that that way is the only way. When people see something straight, they can’t see the side ways and another way that not in one line with their way. Gibran also says it doesn’t like a reed because reed doesn’t need much treatment to grow up but soul does.

The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals. (Line 17)

Lotus is beautiful muddy flower that grow in muddy water. Yet, although lotus lives in muddy water, the lotus can keep clean. It’s like self cleaning phenomenon where lotus keeps shining without being dirty, no matter how dirty the water itself. It symbolizes as the law of cause and effect of it in our lives. This philosophy is also related to human. Human should be like the lotus. The muddy water is like the environment which identical with pain, stress, problem and such a gloomy condition. But human shouldn’t be affected by those all that come into their life. Respecting themselves and staying with their mind will make them gain access to the true self-knowledge.

In conclusion, Gibran emphasizes the self-knowledge where the point is on the self, heart and the soul. Gibran has arranged the words beautifully which one

word supports each other meaning. Gibran keeps saying something about the soul and the path for making people aware that they have to have their soul in their way because basically self is boundless and measureless.

4. 2 On Talking

The second prose poem to be analyzed entitled ‘On Talking’:

On Talking

And then a scholar said, "Speak of Talking." (Line 1)

And he answered, saying: (Line 2)

You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts; (Line 3)

And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart you live in your lips,

and sound is a diversion and a pastime. (Line 4)

And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered. (Line 5)

For thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words may indeed unfold its wings

but cannot fly. (Line 6)

There are those among you who seek the talkative through fear of being alone. (Line 7) The silence of aloneness reveals to their eyes their naked selves and they would

escape. (Line 8)

And there are those who talk, and without knowledge or forethought reveal a truth

which they themselves do not understand. (Line 9)

And there are those who have the truth within them, but they tell it not in words. (Line 10)

In the bosom of such as these the spirit dwells in rhythmic silence. (Line 11)

When you meet your friend on the roadside or in the market-place, let the spirit in

you move your lips and direct your tongue. (Line 12)

Let the voice within your voice speak to the ear of his ear; (Line 13)

For his soul will keep the truth of your heart as the taste of the wine is remembered. (Line 13)

When the colour is forgotten and the vessel is no more. (Line 14)

Talking is our daily activity. We talk to ourselves, talk to others, and talk to inanimate thing. Our way on talking is as reflection of our thought and personality. Here is how Gibran introduces about talking:

And then a scholar said, "Speak of Talking." (Line 1) And he answered, saying: (Line 2)

Scholar is symbol of well educated people. Scholar is a person who knows a lot about particular subject because they have studied it in detail. Mostly, a scholar should have ability to speak because the school’s systems ask the scholar to keep speaking about his knowing. Scholar, as image of smart person to talk, asks about talking would be peculiar for ordinary people. But, in this line, Gibran makes it for supporting his idea about talking.

You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts; (Line 3)

Human should be in peace with their thought because human’s personality is controlled by their though. But in this line, Gibran says, in a direct way, the opposite side of talking with peace of thought. Gibran says that we are talking when we can’t be longer being peace with thought although thought is result of thinking process. This line is as if saying that people talk to run out of their mind.

And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart you live in your lips, and sound is a diversion and a pastime. (Line 4)

Solitude of the heart is the peace itself. People are often able to hear what they heart say. When people can’t be longer talking with himself or asking his heart what to do, it seems like they are having self crisis respect. Gibran says the word ‘you live in your lips’ after the process of dwell solitude heart means that when people can’t being one with himself, he change his way being dwell with other people by talking process. Gibran says that sound is diversion and pastime may because they do it as diversion of their failure being peace with the heart and pastime is like hobby. It means making a sound or talking is already being a hobby for people who can’t be longer with himself.

And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered. (Line 5)

Usually people talk as process to attract someone to talk or response to someone else. But, in this line, Gibran says that when we talk too much, thinking is half murdered. For the proof, we always stop talking when we think something seriously. Moreover, there is a study conducted by the National Center for Neurogenic Communication Disorders and Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, The University of Arizona (Tucson, USA) has revealed that excessive talkativeness could lead to dizziness, lightheadedness, loss of concentration, emotional instability, muscular tension, abnormal posture and other negative effects.

“Therefore, it is normal that long speeches, conversations and excessive talkativeness often lead to light-headedness, loss of concentration, emotional instability, cold feet and hands, muscular tension, abnormal posture and other negative effects due to low O2 and CO2 levels in the brain. Deliberate deep breathing or hyperventilation causes the same effects, the researchers concluded.”

For thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words may indeed unfold its wings but cannot fly. (Line 6)

In this line, Gibran makes the analogy thought is a bird of space in the cage. Bird is animal that can fly up. Flying in the space may represent that thought can see everything down from the space. Essentially, he is stating that human brain acts is like a cage. The words that cage the thought may because what we can say in words is limited. The bird represents our innate thoughts, the cage represent our mind. He suggests that people must learn to set themselves free from their minds.

There are those among you who seek the talkative through fear of being alone. (Line 7)

This is tragic comedy for telling the reason why people are being talkative. In this line, Gibran says that the reason why people being talkative because they are afraid of being alone. This is logical statement. People are being talkative to attract attention from other people around them. When someone talks to others, it is common respond to reply his talking. This process makes people have someone to talk and not be alone. This supports line 3 which saying “You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts” as if saying that they are who seek talkative is cannot be longer with their thought.

The silence of aloneness reveals to their eyes their naked selves and they would escape. (Line 8)

This is the next step of talking process due to afraid of being alone. ‘Naked selves’ can be positive or negative meaning depends on the context of situation. It is symbol of whom people actually are because ‘naked selves’ means there is nothing that makes the self hidden. In this case, the ‘naked body’ represents the original manner of people before they get their own identity. If they would escape from their ‘naked selves’, it means they are afraid to know who actually they are and to run out from their thought.

And there are those who talk, and without knowledge or forethought reveal a truth which they themselves do not understand. (Line 9)

This is ironic line but may be a general truth. There are people who talk to others but they do not actually know what they are talking about. People keep saying something although they themselves do not know about it. It may have been a style where people want to look like an intelligent person by saying something in high level language although they only know for the surface. It’s also happened where

people think they say the truth although they are far of the truth. They think they reveal the truth with them but they only know the truth based on their side.

And there are those who have the truth within them, but they tell it not in words. (Line 10)

In the bosom of such as these the spirit dwells in rhythmic silence. (Line11)

The subject ‘them’ in this line is in the opposite side of the subject from previous line because the subject in this line has known about the truth. They keep the truth with them but they don’t say the truth by saying it. They may have another way to say the truth. It may by action such as, if people want to get respect, they should respect other people first. Sometimes, a person’s action will tell everything we need to know. This can be more effective because sometimes people don’t believe the words itself because saying something is easily to do but practicing something shows that people have seriousness for doing it. It may mean that they keep the truth for themselves such as rhythmic silence for making people finding out the truth based own their own truth.

When you meet your friend on the roadside or in the market-place, let the spirit in you move your lips and direct your tongue. (Line 12) Let the voice within your voice speak to the ear of his ear; (Line 13)

This line tells the humanity habit where people keep saying hello anytime they meet their friend especially the friend they have not met for long time. People looks like automatically accost each other. Gibran says it as spirit, by this word ‘let the spirit in you move your lips and direct your tongue’, which can make your mouth open for saying something or accost other one. The sound we produce will be hearing by someone by their ear ‘speak to the ear of his ear’ as process of communication.

For his soul will keep the truth of your heart as the taste of the wine is remembered. (Line 14)

When the colour is forgotten and the vessel is no more. (Line 15)

Wine is alcoholic drink. It has been such a life style for having wine for party, when having problem or serving to other people. People can be addicted of wine. In this line, Gibran uses it as the symbol for people who keep the truth of the heart in soul. When heart, soul and truth are in one combination, people are usually wise to find the right thing to do. Especially, it’s as the taste of the wine remembered. It means people that have been dealing with his soul keep asking their heart to find the truth anytime they want to do something or anytime they need self answer. It may like an addicting activity to keep asking self first. Gibran also says ‘color is forgotten and vessel no more’. Color is related to skin color and vessel is related by what they are. It means that for keeping the truth of the heart, people need to be free of the diversity of religion, color skin, land boundaries, identity and kind of things that can make people judging someone blindly.

The image of talking is described well in this prose poem. Gibran has given image of talking by starting why we keep talking, the effect of talking where has been supported by scientific research, and how should we do if we want to talk about someone or something. There is perspective in society that our talking represents our personality so by wisely talking, it can make us wisely respect the self.

4.3 On Teaching

The third prose poem to be analyzed entitled ‘On Teaching’:

Teaching

Then said a teacher, "Speak to us of Teaching." (Line 1)

No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the

dawning of your knowledge. (Line 3)

The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not

of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness. (Line 4)

If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather

leads you to the threshold of your own mind. (Line 5)

The astronomer may speak to you of his understanding of space, but he cannot give

you his understanding. (Line 6)

The musician may sing to you of the rhythm which is in all space, but he cannot give

you the ear which arrests the rhythm, nor the voice that echoes it. (Line 7)

And he who is versed in the science of numbers can tell of the regions of weight and

measure, but he cannot conduct you thither. (Line 8)

For the vision of one man lends not its wings to another man. (Line 9)

And even as each one of you stands alone in God's knowledge, so must each one of you be alone in his knowledge of God and in his understanding of the earth.

(Line 10) Pattern of this prose poem is written as sentences. It’s a combination of two sentences and has a format as antithetical writing where the first sentences and the second sentences, in a line, are written as contrast. Here is how Gibran starts the line of this prose poem:

Then said a teacher, "Speak to us of Teaching." (Line 1) And he said: (Line 2)

In this prose poetry, Gibran uses the symbol ‘teacher’ for asking what is teaching. Mostly, the one who have known well about teaching is teacher. But here, the teacher asks what actually teaching itself. Symbol of teacher here is a deep symbol because if a teacher who is well known for his ability in teaching asks what is teaching, it means there is something hidden of teaching which haven’t known by teacher.

No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of your knowledge. (Line 3)

To introduce about teaching, Gibran says about teaching in one meaningful line. Gibran says that all things which people reveal to you should already you know

in your half sleep knowledge. The word ‘lies half sleep’ means that all we know isn’t totally we know. We only know the part which is not slept in our knowledge. The word ‘dawn’ means the time of process when the light first appears which means that we should learn from basic like process from dawning of the day until the dark. Gibran says that there is no one able to reveal you something because if we don’t know anything about it, we won’t even think about it. If people want to know something, the first thing people should do is waking up their knowledge because sleeping knowledge means nothing. No matter how many people tell us about something, if we don’t mention it, it could be useless.

The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness. (Line 4)

Teacher (Oxford: 2000) is the person who teaches something to someone by giving lesson or knowledge. In this line, the teacher walks in the shadow of temple. Temple is being used in worship to the God, especially in Hindu and Buddhist religions. It has being general agreement that God knows everything. In temple, there is a symbol such as elephant that representing a wisdom. If a teacher walks in the shadow of temple, he’ll always practice his wisdom as the symbol of temple itself. But in this line, Gibran says that the teacher can’t give the wisdom to his follower, he is only able to give his faith and lovingness. It’s because wisdom is relative; someone seems wise to some people but may not seem wise to the others. When a teacher gives his wisdom, it’ll not be working at all. It’s better to tell his followers his faith because the followers will learn the wisdom itself by their faith and to tell his lovingness because the best way to tell the wisdom is by getting love. One of the best

ways to tell someone about something, to teach someone about faith, and to give them wisdom is by giving sample by ourselves.

If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind. (Line 5)

In this line, ‘he’ refers to the teacher in previous line. Gibran tells about the teacher twice in different level. The first, in previous line, the teacher walks in shadow of temple. And the second, Gibran adds the clarification as the wise teacher or a sage. It means there is possibility that some teachers aren’t wise. In the second level, if the teacher is really wise or a sage, he will not bid you enter the house of wisdom. Wisdom itself (Oxford: 2000) is the ability to make sensible decision and give good advice because of the experience and knowledge that you have. Everyone has different experience and level of knowledge; it means there is different wisdom for each person so leading someone to find wisdom by their own mind is the best way to teach about wisdom. They will find wisdom by themselves and take it for them long live.

The astronomer may speak to you of his understanding of space, but he cannot give you his understanding. (Line 6)

Astronomy is the scientific study of stars and the astronomer is the person who learns astronomy. He may go out of this earth to learn about the start and other planet. Someone may learn all subjects in the earth but astronomer learns something out of the earth. The words ‘astronomer may speak to you of his understanding of space’ means that the astronomer can talk about what he has known about the space itself but the words ‘but he cannot give you his understanding’ is being contrast. It means that although the astronomer has told you as much as he has known about the

space, people still can’t understand what he says about his understanding. That may because when someone tell something to us, our imagination may being different with what he is actually talking about. Imagination and level intelligence of someone give different understanding of a subject.

The musician may sing to you of the rhythm which is in all space, but he cannot give you the ear which arrests the rhythm, nor the voice that echoes it. (Line 7)

Everyone knows music but musician is someone who skilled in playing music. Music is sound that arranged in a way that is pleasant or exiting to hear. Music has many functions as a way to get peace in specific time, neutralizing emotion, a medium to share idea and experience and etc. Music may have message in it and the rhythm in music is the way to express those all. Here, musician is being the symbol of the person who wants to hear the sound of the world and tell it again to the world. In this line, Gibran repeats the word ‘space’ twice, the first has been written in previous line, to mention the space because space could be the universe. Ironically, Gibran keep giving contrast by the word ‘but he cannot give you the ear which arrests the rhythm, nor the voice that echoes it’. It means although the musician tells the sound of the world, tells about what he knows about the world and what the world wants to say, we cannot hear it like the way the musician hears it.

And he who is versed in the science of numbers can tell of the regions of weight and measure, but he cannot conduct you thither. (Line 8)

He, in this line, is general person. He can be anyone. Yet, he can’t conduct you thither. He can’t make you to do what he wants to do, no matter how much people know about something. He may able to make you do something, think about something or make something but those all because in the inner self, you do it by

yourself. This line may emphasize that we are the organizer for ourselves. We should conduct ourselves first. All we do should base on our own desire.

For the vision of one man lends not its wings to another man. (Line 9)

Everyone has his own vision in his life. Vision is needed to make someone plan something well for the future. The symbol ‘wings’ is used to show the way. Wings make someone can fly up and keep moving up. There is concept in our mind that ‘up’ is better than ‘down’. The connection between vision and wings is something that related in power. If the vision keeps being better, it means that human keep making better for getting the vision. Vision makes someone has spirit to reach his dream. But in this line, Gibran says that someone can’t lend the wing of that vision. It means that someone can say all about his vision to everyone and motivate them to reach it but he can’t make those people have same spirit to get the vision. Spirit and motivation itself called as the wing in this line. Some people may have same vision but they may have different motivation and strength of the spirit. So those will make the different passion to get the vision itself.

And even as each one of you stands alone in God's knowledge, so must each one of you be alone in his knowledge of God and in his understanding of the earth. (Line 10)

Symbol of God refers to most advanced knowledge. Gibran writes the word ‘each of you’ to support the word ‘alone’ in ‘stand alone in God’s knowledge’ which emphasize to personal. In other word, it is about we and ourselves. Standing in God’s knowledge is something great because we are in center of universe knowledge. Yet we are alone which means that we can’t depend on the other person. Our understanding about the God and the earth is on ourselves.

Since line 3 until line 8, Gibran keeps giving contrast to emphasize we must learn something by our own desire, thought and self. It’s like what Gibran says that whoever would be a teacher of men let him begin by teaching himself before teaching other; and let him teach by example before teach by word. For he who teaches himself and rectifies his own ways is more deserving of respect and reverence than who would teach others and rectify their ways.

4. 4 On Pain

The fourth prose poem to be analyzed entitled ‘On Pain’:

On Pain

And a woman spoke, saying, "Tell us of Pain." (Line 1)

And he said: (Line 2)

Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. (Line 3)

Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must

you know pain. (Line 4)

And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain

would not seem less wondrous than your joy; (Line 5)

And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted

the seasons that pass over your fields. (Line 6)

And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief. (Line 7)

Much of your pain is self-chosen. (Line 8)

It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self. (Line 9) Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquillity:

(Line 9) For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by the tender hand of the Unseen,

(Line 10) And the cup he brings, though it burn your lips, has been fashioned of the clay which

the Potter has moistened with His own sacred tears. (Line 11)

Many people complain when they are on pain. Pain is like something bad for them. But actually, there is a positive side of pain. In this prose poem, Gibran is talking about pain.

And a woman spoke, saying, "Tell us of Pain." (Line 1) And he said: (Line 2)

Woman is identical with her soft heart. There is analogy that men use their brain more and women use their heart more. Gibran uses the symbol ‘woman’ may

mean as suggestion that we shouldn’t be only seeing pain with brain but also using the heart because logically, pain is pitiful thing so it seems as if pain were only exist as negative word.

Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. (Line 3)

Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain. (Line 4)

This line is saying that pain is not a negative thing. Shell is symbol for hiding something. Breaking the shell means breaking the thing that closing something and find out what is in it. In this line, Gibran says pain giving us more understanding about something. For being parable, people won’t know how it feels when you are starved because they are never starved. It also happens for other pain. Pain makes people more understand about the feeling of others if they have similar sick of pain and for getting true understanding. People must know the pain to have a better solidarity and knowledge about something.

And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy; (Line 5)

This line is an advice from Gibran how is our way to face the pain. Sometimes, when people on pain, they forget the miracles of life. Miracles in life itself are unlimited, yet we seldom notice it. We can still alive till right now, having two eyes and complete body, having health and those that seem simple are the most basic miracles in life. We may be richer than other people. Yet, people keep complaining the pain that come to their life. But, when people see the other people poorer than them, it makes their pain seem better. One of the best medicines for pain

is by seeing there are many more people that have more pain than us so we know we are luckier.

And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields. (Line 6)

And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief. (Line 7)

Season of the heart means the changing process of feeling like happiness, comfortable, tears, and pain. While, season that pass over the field is the season like spring, summer, autumn and winter. Those all are the life processes in general. Those seasons represent the time of life; spring as moment in our young, summer as adult, autumn as old and winter as the death. We would accept the timing process of life because it is a natural changing process and we cannot run from it. The seasons itself are also happened in our mind and we must accept all what happened with our life and feeling. The words ‘winter’ and ‘grief’ as if saying that your pain will be frozen and keep staying in your side. Yet, we should watch it with serenity because Gibran says we should accept it as part of our inner self process.

Much of your pain is self-chosen.

There is no one has desire for having pain in life, though pains are usually designed by fate to toughen up our existence. It means simply that pain isn’t self chosen because it’s not our choice to be on pain. Some people say that pain is a natural disaster that is unavoidable. But, in this line, Gibran says that pain is self chosen. Gibran may not only talk about the pain itself but our way face it. If there is a pain, some people may automatically in gloomy day but there are some people who are able to take positive side and even get pleasure of it. So it’s totally our choice to be on pain or surrender of pain, or being wiser and rise up of it.

It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self (Line 8)

Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquillity: (Line 9)

Bitter potion is awful way to tell the feeling of being on pain. Yet, that can heal the pain. The medicine that tastes so awful and bitter is make people tempted to not take it therefore we should trust the physician that the bitter potion can heal the sick. Here, there is no exact answer who is the physician. But, it could be the time or the life. That is because we often fatefully believe that time will cure the sick self which life gives us the new one. At least, life gives us the new paradigm and perspective about many things.

For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by the tender hand of the Unseen, (Line 10)

The word “his” represents the physician. His hand is heavy and hard may represent that pain he give makes us feel down and hopeless but it is guided by tender hand Unseen. ‘Tender hand Unseen’ may represent the God because it’s written in capital letter and the God is the only one who makes a ‘scenario’ for making us ‘tender’. We should drink ‘his remedy in silence’ may because the remedy is given by God and ‘in silence’ because of faith where we believe that God always give the best for us.

And the cup he brings, though it burn your lips, has been fashioned of the clay which the Potter has moistened with His own sacred tears.

There are many motivations stories giving analogy that process of making cup connected to pain. Basically, the cup is made of the loam. No one think that loam is beautiful so it is being unused. But, in the hand of a potter, the loam is being something useful and beautiful. The process of making the cup is by a ‘torture’ where the loam is being taken, being beaten, being dried under the sun, being burn on the fire, and such other processes to make the loam being a cup. Here, Gibran writes the ‘Potter’ with capital letter to represent the God. We may like the loam itself and the pain is the process to change us being the cup. When we are in the ‘changing processes, we often complain about what is happening on us, about all the pain God give to us, and we are getting angry of it without knowing the ‘magical power’ of it. But when we are being the cup, we just realize that God makes us pain for making us being more valuable person.

Simplify, pain doesn’t only make us being hopeless and helpless but sometimes, when we are in pain, we realize our hidden potential and power. The writer also loves the words saying that there is no rainbow without the rain which has the same point that pain and difficulty can make us seeing the nice one behind it. In conclusion, pain makes self being better if people know how the right way to face it.

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

5.1 Conclusion

Having analyzed the data of this analysis about self based on Kahlil Gibran’s prose poetry, it is concluded that there are many element which can influence the self and the process of developing self.

The writer has been analyzing the prose poem by the theme of teaching, talking, self-knowledge and pain and finding its conclusion. In the prose poem ‘On Teaching’ there are many lines as image for telling that people should teach himself first before teach other. There are many ways to teach someone, it’s not only by telling him about it. So for teaching, we should teach ourselves and finding the best way to teach others for finding the true method teaching. By talking, Gibran has been telling the reason why we talk until its effect and as conclusion, it’s better to keep the mouth shut than talking the rubbish. By self-knowledge, people know that self is measureless and boundless as long as they find their soul in their way. And by pain, people know that pain is also positive thing as long people understand how to face it because mostly pain can show people their hidden potential.

In conclusion, all the things happen in life is depend on ourselves whether we want to be grow up and being wiser from it or fall into failure and losing the pride of self. Soul, heart and self are always related for finding the wisdom of life.

5.2 Suggestion

During the process of this thesis, the writer has calmer inside due to finding some common senses that are useful in life. In this era, some of us have self-crisis

identity because we almost forget ‘who actually we are’. The only suggestion the writer wants to say is respect ourselves by finding our own soul in our way. Yet, there is no need to give any suggestion if people cannot suggest themselves. The writer only hopes that one day we will know how to deal with ourselves and find the wisdom of life which stay with us long life.

REFERENCES

Castle, Gregory. 2007. The Blackwell Guide to Literary Theory.UK: Blackwell

Publishing Ltd

Delville, Michel. 1998. American Prose Poem Poetic Form and the Boundaries of

Genre. USA: University Press of Florida.

G. Alexander L. 1963. Poetry and Prose: Appreciation for Overseas Student.

London: Longman Group Limited.

Haidar, Otared. 2008. The Prose Poem and the Journal Shi’r: A Comparative

Study of Literature, Literary Theory and Journalism. UK: Itacha Press

Gibran, Kahlil. 1923. The Prophet. New York: Alfred A. Knoph Inc.

Hornby, A S. 2000. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English Sixth

Edition. New York: Oxford University Press.

Monte, Steven. 2000. Invisible Fences: Prose Poetryas a GenreinFrenchand

AmericanLiterature.United States of America: University of Nebraska

Press

Peck, John and Martin Coyle. 1947. Literary Terms and Criticism. London:

Macmillan Education

Wettlanfer, Alexandra K. 2003. In the Mind’s Eyes: The Visual Impulse in

Diderot, Bandalaire and Ruskin. New York: Rodopi B.V

APPENDICES

i. Biography of Kahlil Gibran

Kahlil Gibran (January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931) was a a of United States, where he studied art and began his literary career, writing in both English and rebel. His romantic style was at the heart of a renaissance in modern Arabic literature, especially Lebanon, he is still celebrated as a literary hero.

He is chiefly known in the English-speaking world for his 1923 book

essays written in poetic reception, gaining popularity in the 1930s and again especially in the behi

Gibran was an accomplished artist, especially in drawing and watercolor, having attended art school in Paris from 1908 to 1910, pursuing a symbolist and romantic style over the then up-and-coming realism. Gibran held his first art exhibition of his drawings in 1904 in Gibran met Mary Elizabeth Haskell, a respected headmistress ten years his senior. The two formed an important friendship that lasted the rest of Gibran’s life. Though

Gibran twice proposed to her but marriage was not possible in the face of her family's conservatism.

Gibran's best-known work is

poetic essays. Its popularity grew markedly during the 1960s with the American has remained popular with these and with the wider population to this day. Since it

was first published in 1923, The Prophet has never been out of print. Having been

translated into more than forty languages,it was one of the bestselling books of the twentieth century in the United States.

Gibran died in were came through Ellis Island in 1895 never became an American citizen; he loved his birthplace too much. Before his death, Gibran expressed the wish that he be buried in Lebanon. This wish was fulfilled in 1932, when Mary Haskell and her sister Mariana purchased the on my grave: I am alive like you, and I am standing beside you. Close your eyes and look around, you will see me in front of you."

Kahlil Gibran’s Works:

In Arabic:

• Nubthah fi Fan Al-Musiqa (Music, 1905)

• Ara'is al-Muruj (Nymphs of the Valley, also translated as Spirit

Brides and Brides of the Prairie, 1906)

• Al-Ajniha al-Mutakassira

• Dam'awaIbtisama (A Tear and A Smile, 1914)

• Al-Mawakib (The Processions, 1919)

• Al-‘Awāsif (The Tempests, 1920)

• Al-Bada'i' waal-Tara'if (The New and the Marvellous, 1923)

In English, prior to his death:

• The Madman (1918)

• Twenty Drawings (1919)

• The Forerunner (1920)

•

• Sand and Foam (1926)

• Kingdom of the Imagination (1927)

• Jesus, The Son of Man (1928)

• The Earth Gods (1931)

Posthumous, in English:

• The Wanderer (1932)

•

• Lazarus and his Beloved (Play, 1933)

Collections:

• Prose Poems (1934)

• Secrets of the Heart (1947)

• A Self-Portrait (1959)

• Thoughts and Meditations (1960)

• A Second Treasury of Kahlil Gibran (1962) • Spiritual Sayings (1962)

• Voice of the Master (1963) • Mirrors of the Soul (1965) • Between Night & Morn (1972)

• A Third Treasury of Kahlil Gibran (1975) • The Storm (1994)

• The Beloved (1994) • The Vision (1994)

• Eye of the Prophet (1995)

• The Treasured Writings of Kahlil Gibran (1995)

Other:

• Beloved Prophet, The love letters of Khalil Gibran and Mary Haskell, and her private journal (1972, edited by Virginia Hilu)

ii. Summary of “The Prophet”

“The Prophet” consists of 26 prose poem openi that introduce Almustafa as the narrator of each prose poems selected in this thesis.Here are the texts which related on this thesis:

The Coming of the Ship

Almustafa, the chosen and the beloved, who was a dawn unto his own day, had waited twelve years in the city of Orphalese for his ship that was to return and bear him back to the isle of his birth.

And in the twelfth year, on the seventh day of Ielool, the month of reaping, he climbed the hill without the city walls and looked seaward; and he beheld the ship coming with the mist.

Then the gates of his heart were flung open, and his joy flew far over the sea. And he closed his eyes and prayed in the silences of his soul.

But he descended the hill, a sadness came upon him, and he thought in his heart: How shall I go in peace and without sorrow? Nay, not without a wound in the spirit shall I leave this city.

Long were the days of pain I have spent within its walls, and long were the nights of aloneness; and who can depart from his pain and his aloneness without regret? Too many fragments of the spirit have I scattered in these streets, and too many are the children of my longing that walk naked among these hills, and I cannot withdraw from them without a burden and an ache.

It is not a garment I cast off this day, but a skin that I tear with my own hands. Nor is it a thought I leave behind me, but a heart made sweet with hunger and with thirst.

Yet I cannot tarry longer. The sea that calls all things unto her calls me, and I must embark. For to stay, though the hours burn in the night, is to freeze and crystallize and be bound in a mould.

Fain would I take with me all that is here. But how shall I?

A voice cannot carry the tongue and the lips that give it wings. Alone must it seek the ether.

And alone and without his nest shall the eagle fly across the sun.

Now when he reached the foot of the hill, he turned again towards the sea, and he saw his ship approaching the harbour, and upon her prow the mariners, the men of his own land.

And his soul cried out to them, and he said:

Sons of my ancient mother, you riders of the tides,

How often have you sailed in my dreams. And now you come in my awakening, which is my deeper dream.

Ready am I to go, and my eagerness with sails full set awaits the wind.

Only another breath will I breathe in this still air, only another loving look cast backward,

Then I shall stand among you, a seafarer among seafarers.

And you, vast sea, sleepless mother, Who alone are peace and freedom to the river and the stream,

Only another winding will this stream make, only another murmur in this glade, And then shall I come to you, a boundless drop to a boundless ocean.

And as he walked he saw from afar men and women leaving their fields and their vineyards and hastening towards the city gates.

And he heard their voices calling his name, and shouting from the field to field telling one another of the coming of the ship.

And he said to himself:

Shall the day of parting be the day of gathering? And shall it be said that my eve was in truth my dawn?

And what shall I give unto him who has left his plough in midfurrow, or to him who has stopped the wheel of his winepress?

Shall my heart become a tree heavy-laden with fruit that I may gather and give unto them?

And shall my desires flow like a fountain that I may fill their cups?

Am I a harp that the hand of the mighty may touch me, or a flute that his breath may pass through me?

A seeker of silences am I, and what treasure have I found in silences that I may dispense with confidence?

If this is my day of harvest, in what fields have I sowed the seed, and in what unrembered seasons?

If this indeed be the our in which I lift up my lantern, it is not my flame that shall burn therein.

Empty and dark shall I raise my lantern,

And the guardian of the night shall fill it with oil and he shall light it also. These things he said in words. But much in his heart remained unsaid. For he himself could not speak his deeper secret.

And when he entered into the city all the people came to meet him, and they were crying out to him as with one voice.

And the elders of the city stood forth and said: Go not yet away from us.

A noontide have you been in our twilight, and your youth has given us dreams to dream.

No stranger are you among us, nor a guest, but our son and our dearly beloved. Suffer not yet our eyes to hunger for your face.

And the priests and the priestesses said unto him:

Let not the waves of the sea separate us now, and the years you have spent in our midst become a memory.

You have walked among us a spirit, and your shadow has been a light upon our faces.

Much have we loved you. But speechless was our love, and with veils has it been veiled. Yet now it cries aloud unto you, and would stand revealed before you. And ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.

And others came also and entreated him.

But he answered them not. He only bent his head; and those who stood near saw his tears falling upon his breast.

And he and the people proceeded towards the great square before the temple. And there came out of the sanctuary a woman whose name was Almitra. And she was a seeress.

And he looked upon her with exceeding tenderness, for it was she who had first sought and believed in him when he had been but a day in their city.

And she hailed him, saying: Prophet of God, in quest for the uttermost, long have you searched the distances for your ship.

And now your ship has come, and you must needs go.

Deep is your longing for the land of your memories and the dwelling place of your greater desires; and our love would not bind you nor our needs hold you. Yet this we ask ere you leave us, that you speak to us and give us of your truth. And we will give it unto our children, and they unto their children, and it shall not perish.

In your aloneness you have watched with our days, and in your wakefulness you have listened to the weeping and the laughter of our sleep.

Now therefore disclose us to ourselves, and tell us all that has been shown you of that which is between birth and death.

And he answered,

People of Orphalese, of what can I speak save of that which is even now moving your souls?

On Pain

And a woman spoke, saying, "Tell us of Pain." And he said:

Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain.

And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy;

And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields.

And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief. Much of your pain is self-chosen.

Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquillity: For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by the tender hand of the Unseen, And the cup he brings, though it burn your lips, has been fashioned of the clay which the Potter has moistened with His own sacred tears.

On Self-Knowledge

And a man said, "Speak to us of Self-Knowledge." And he answered, saying:

Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights. But your ears thirst for the sound of your heart's knowledge.

You would know in words that which you have always know in thought. You would touch with your fingers the naked body of your dreams. And it is well you should.

The hidden well-spring of your soul must needs rise and run murmuring to the sea;

And the treasure of your infinite depths would be revealed to your eyes. But let there be no scales to weigh your unknown treasure;

And seek not the depths of your knowledge with staff or sounding line. For self is a sea boundless and measureless.

Say not, "I have found the truth," but rather, "I have found a truth."

Say not, "I have found the path of the soul." Say rather, "I have met the soul walking upon my path."

For the soul walks upon all paths.

The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed. The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.

On Teaching

Then said a teacher, "Speak to us of Teaching." And he said:

No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of our knowledge.

The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness.

If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.

The astronomer may speak to you of his understanding of space, but he cannot give you his understanding.

The musician may sing to you of the rhythm which is in all space, but he cannot give you the ear which arrests the rhythm nor the voice that echoes it.

And he who is versed in the science of numbers can tell of the regions of weight and measure, but he cannot conduct you thither.

And even as each one of you stands alone in God's knowledge, so must each one of you be alone in his knowledge of God and in his understanding of the earth.

On Talking

And then a scholar said, "Speak of Talking." And he answered, saying:

You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts;

And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart you live in your lips, and sound is a diversion and a pastime.

And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered.

For thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words many indeed unfold its wings but cannot fly.

There are those among you who seek the talkative through fear of being alone. The silence of aloneness reveals to their eyes their naked selves and they would escape.

And there are those who talk, and without knowledge or forethought reveal a truth which they themselves do not understand.

And there are those who have the truth within them, but they tell it not in words. In the bosom of such as these the spirit dwells in rhythmic silence.

When you meet your friend on the roadside or in the market place, let the spirit in you move your lips and direct your tongue.

Let the voice within your voice speak to the ear of his ear;

For his soul will keep the truth of your heart as the taste of the wine is remembered